The 1973 Constitution is the only consensus document binding the federation. It neither recognises nor foresees the further division of Pakistan into more provinces. The manifestos of the PPP and its ally, the Q League, make no reference to new provinces. Thus, the call for more provinces is nothing but reckless desperation of a morally bankrupt political leadership which sees defeat written large in the next election.
The Q League, which is in the process of rapid evaporation, is the most vociferous proponent of more provinces. Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Elahi have the most to lose come elections and are therefore eager incendiaries demanding a division of Punjab. In the week leading to Pakistan’s independence day, the PML-Q introduced a proposal in the Punjab Assembly for breaking Punjab and creating a Seraiki province.
The PPP, whose new poster boys were never seen in Benazir Bhutto’s lifetime, is equally passionate about new provinces, at least in Punjab. President Zardari’s trusted troubleshooter, Dr Babar Awan, claims that the Seraiki province cannot be suppressed any longer. As if this was a long-standing promise of the PPP. It is obvious that the PPP high command feels there is no national slogan which is capable of garnering votes in the next election, and it’s only option will be to pit the people of Punjab against each other.
For those who want a Balkanised Pakistan, a Seraiki province is not enough in Punjab. Mohammad Ali Durrani, General Musharraf’s information minister, is hoping to come out of the political wilderness by leading the battle for a Bahawalpur province. Durrani’s vision is to restore the former nawab of Bhawalpur’s scion to the lost glory of the British Raj. Another notable supporter of a Bahawalpur province is Izajul Haq, who leads his own one-man faction of PML (Ziaul Haq).
In what is developing into a rapid free for all, Dr Nazir Bhatti of the Pakistan Christian Congress is demanding the formation of a Christian province in southwest Punjab. On the other hand, a JUI MPA from Mianwali rejects the proposal for a Seraiki province and has demanded a Thal province where people of his constituency can be free, according to him, from the lords of Multan. The temperatures are slowly rising. In the last parliamentary session of the Punjab Assembly, the proponents of Seraiki vs Thal provinces traded insults and abuses and had to be physically restrained from attacking each other.
The danger of lighting a fire in Punjab is that it can engulf the entire country. The demand for a Hazara province to be carved out of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has now been renewed. Dozens were killed in rioting leading up to a mere change of name from NWFP to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Imagine the bloodletting which will welcome the partition of a province. And with every drop of blood wasted in the name of division of provinces, it is the federation of Pakistan which will suffer irreparable harm.
For MQM supporters, the demand for Karachi and Hyderabad as a separate province is literally the writing on the wall and the restoration of the city district governments is considered its foundation. However, Sindhi nationalists promise that their province will only be divided over their dead bodies. There is already no dearth of violence in Karachi and we cannot afford more bloodletting. Stoking the fires of division in far away Punjab merely to cut the Sharif’s down to size is likely to not only destroy PPP’s traditional vote bank in Sindh, but threaten Pakistan as we know it.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2011.
For more on this issue follow: newprovince
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Reader Comments (7)
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Mustafa
an hour ago
Reply
Precisely why I am not in favour of the creation of new provinces. Every new province created will be for some ethnicity or some people, and they will be living in that province as though its their own kingdom, rather than a part of Pakistan. I wholeheartedly agree with you. As if the current sectarian and ethnic violence isn’t enough, these political parties are trying to spread it to Pakistan’s largest province.
Recommend2
faraz
an hour ago
Reply
Is there any example in history of a country which fragmented due to creation of more provinces. Division of provinces is essential to ensure better management and equitable distribution of resources.
Recommend4
Jamel
31 minutes ago
Reply
New provinces will break Pakistan
and
The 1973 Constitution is the only
consensus document binding the
federation.
What a croak and pure scaremongering. Pakistan existed before 1973. The reason Pakistan broke is the same that you are advocating now ie not to recognise the rightful demands of people of Pakistan.
This scaremongering is just to devoid Siraikis of their right over their resources so those resources can continue to be diverted for the benefit of Takht-e-Lahore rulers. Bahawalpur used to be a developed area in British era. Takht-e-Lahore has been worst than British in their treatment of Siraikis/Bahawalpur. Why did we get independence for; only to be made slaves of Takht-e-Lahore?
Recommend3
Aryabhat
24 minutes ago
Reply
Contrarary to Author’s viewpoint, actually more provinces will make Pakistan stronger. Allow me to explain why?
As of now one of the biggest grouse in Pakistan as a federation from Sindh, KP and Balochistan is dominance of Punjab.
Once Punjab is divided in the smaller 2 (or say 3) states, no new state would be SO dominant and perhaps true spirit of federation would be then enjoyed by all provinces. Hopefully that would set to rest the famous story (right or just perceived) Punjabi domination in almost everything!
Recommend2
DarkStar(Karachi)
21 minutes ago
Reply
The Brookings Institution recently claimed that Pakistan was not on the verge of a break-up or balkanization because of the size and strength of the Punjab province.
Somebody must have taken notice and is in the process of fulfilling this requirement of the enemies of Pakistan.
The Nawab of Bahawalpur was not stupid when he willingly accepted the assimilation of his state into the Punjab. He knew it was a necessity for strengthening the polity.
We don’t need another bunch of extra provincial parliaments, with even more ministers and their army of advisers and experts, all ‘washing their hands in the Ganges’.
This will lead to infighting, bickering, instability, xenophobia and an even greater weakening of the State.
I salute the writer for talking some sense on this subject.
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irfan khan
20 minutes ago
Reply
why is there a campaign against punjab in the media these days? why only punjab is being singled out for being destroyed? karachi has a gigantic population of over 20 million people,it deserves to be given the status of a separate province,why doesn’t the ppp start with this? the ppp should form a new province made up of karachi and hyderabad.
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TANOLI.
18 minutes ago
Reply
Christian province hahahahahah then qadiani will demand qadiani povince and hindu in mir
pur khas will say hindu province is india also like this singh province muslim province or
christian province ,jain province ,budhist province ,hindu Dalit province so on………
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