Game on hai! Trump card of new provinces

Game on hai! Trump card of new provinces

By juggling with the number of federating units that exists, political parties are playing a new game, of advocating the new provinces that is not harmless at all. Arguments are going on as how many new units should be created and on what bases.

The objective behind this demand is not to make the federation strong or to redress the issues of masses but to serve the interests of the individual parties and to re-carve the country to suit their ends.

Everyone seems to have locked in a race to grab the power, which is the real aim behind this move. In an apparent bid to spread its political reach beyond Sindh, the MQM was the first party to move the resolution in parliament for formation of new federating
units. 

Apparently, the PPP is mulling with haste a draft for a new Seraiki province in southern Punjab, in the area of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. He asserted that this would be created at all costs.

Of course, it is not accidental that this move will suit the premier whose own constituency locates in the same area, Multan, one of the major regions having a longstanding demand for a separate federal unit.

The PML-N, the currently ruling lot of Punjab, did not stay back in making the situation further complex. It observed that the new units should not be created on linguistic grounds but can be on others.

At the same time, the party is supporting the creation of Hazara province where the PML-N had a strong political hold.

In another odd move, the PML-N chief made a demand for reviving the old Bahawalpur state that will deteriorate the entire scenario. This demand will open a set of issues given that other states including Kalat of Balochistan, Hunza, and Chitral.

At the time, we do not require any division or re-division of the country on ethnic or linguistic grounds. A greater unity and nurturing of the ability are needs of the hours to make it land of diversity.

If required, federating units should be created but purely on administrative lines rather than other conditions. A gigantic debate is required to discuss the issue in depth and detail.

A series of new problems and add to the hardships we already face by the game being played by the political parties for formation of new provinces. A great care and caution is required to move towards diversity.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=8241

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Jan 5 2012. Filed under Opinion, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry