Issue of New Provinces in Pakistan

Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology
Pakistan Studies
Survey Paper
Statement:
Provincial Issues In Pakistan.
Submitted To:
Madam Uzma
Submitted By:
Khawar Ramzan
Farooq Usman Zia
M. Rameez Ur Rahman
Hashaam Yaseen
BSEE (2B)
BSEE (2B)
BSEE (2B)
BSEE (2B)
Provinces Of Pakistan:
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan emerged as an independent State on 14 August 1947. It
comprises four provinces:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP)
Punjab
Sindh
Creation of new provinces in Pakistan:

It is a fact that the administrative units in Pakistan (the 4 provinces besides FATA), are too
large to be managed efficiently.Whenever an issue of new provinces of Pakistan is debated
Pakistani mainstream parties and their leaders assert that they are not against new provinces
in Pakistan as well the provinces are not demanded on the basis of linguistic ethnicity and
then they support the demand of Seraiki and Hazara Province. Creating a province should
be a need of managing the common state affairs in the best interest of the public. However,
biased and shameful so-called politicians in Pakistan are using this issue to gain sympathies
of the people of their constituencies so that they make them fool again in the next general
election if happens. The seed of division in Sindh was first planted by the government of
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1970s by the introduction of Quota System for the people of Sind
Rural and Sind Urban on the name of providing more opportunities and facilities to the
underprivileged people of Sindh Rural. But the truth was that the division was made on the
grounds of separating Urdu Speaking and Sindhi Speaking people of Sindh. Quota System
2
was introduced in order to maintain their vote bank in interior Sindh. Yesterdays All
Pakistani Muhajir Students Federation then Muhajir Quomi Movement and todays
Mutehada Quomi Movement the reaction of this division. Due to this persistent biased and
racist system in Sindh created repulsion among the young Urdu-Speaking of Urban areas and
even though they were born in Sindh they are now proudly calling themselves as Muhajir.
Thus, now this is the ground reality and the truth that today, there are two local ethnic
communities in Sindh Sindhi-Speaking and Urdu-Speaking.
The corrupt, incapable and biased government of the day has created chaos in the minds of
the common people. People have no safe life and no future, everyday problems created lost
vision of ideology of Pakistan. The four major political parties of Pakistan who are one or the
other way are in the federal or/and provincial government are just focusing of on their
parties vested interest not the interest of the countrys sovereignty and nations Unity. For
this reason they are now playing the dangerous game of divisions within the province. As I
said earlier, there is no harm to create a new province as long as it is needed for the better
management of running government affairs. But the demand of Seraiki province,
Bhawalpur province Punjab, Haraza province in Pukhtoon Khuwa and Muhajir or
Jinahpur or Sindh Urban are purely on ethnic parameters. Therefore, if Seraiki and Hazara
Provinces are created then it will not stop there. Then there will be more demand especially a
demand for a separate province for Urdu-Speaking in Sindh. And demand would then be
logical.
The founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah said, We are now all Pakistanis
not Baluchis, Pathans, Sindhis, Bengalis, Punjabis and so on and as Pakistanis we
must feet behave and act, and we should be proud to be known as Pakistanis and
nothing else. (Reply to the Civic Address presented by the Quetta Municipality on 15
June 1948.
Reason of creation of new provinces should mainly be administrative in nature and political
in practice. Demand for creation of new provinces should not be political in nature.
Otherwise, all the tribal based communities will put forward their demands for separate
provinces that would not be financially problematic for state but also create chaos across the
country.
At the time of beginning, Nigeria had only 4 provinces and there had been tribal clashes and
bad governance issues. Later on president of Nigeria brought reforms and made 7 new
provinces just to harmonize administration. Today, it has more than 17 provinces and most of
them were created just to make governance efficient and effective.
Same has been followed in Egypt and India.
Provinces in punjaab:
Despite the growing demands for the creation of more provinces, the issue of division is not
as simple as it seems.There are never enough resources to meet all the needs, therefore some
compromises have to be reached in order to achieve an equitable distribution of income and
resources. The problem worsens further when resources are not even remotely sufficient, like
in Pakistan. People from different areas have always complained that less development funds
are allocated for them. It is a known fact that metropolitan cities of any province get the bulk
of the funds while the smaller cities are ignored. This inequality in distribution of resources
has been a primary cause of the demand for new provinces, especially in Punjab.
At present provinces of Balochistan, Sindh, NWFP, harbor a host of grievances against

Punjab that range from taking more share of funds to the undue use of water as well as
because of the army whose bulk comes from Punjab. Punjab is the target of complaints and
grudge of other provinces for being a privileged province as was West Pakistan compared to
the former East Pakistan.
The demand for Bahawalpur province is exactly like the Suba Pakhtoon Khawa .
Saraikistan:
Siraiki speaking people want to have a separate province because they look different from
both Sindh and Punjab as for their language and culture is concerned.A separate Saraikistan
Province from the southern parts of the Punjab Province. This province may comprise the
districts of Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari,
Khanewal, Sargodha, Jhang, Muzzafargarh, Layyah, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Khushab, Rajan
Pur and Dera Ghazi Khan from Punjab province and district of Dera Ismail Khan from
Kheber Pukhtunkhaw province. Division should not be on the basis of saraiki or urdu
speaking
Provinces in Khyber Pakhtonkhwa:

The long standing demands of many regions with common language and ethnic bonds such
as Siraiki belt and Hazara could be met by creation of more provinces. The population of
Hazara region wants to separate from the Pushto speaking parts of NWFP (now Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa ) because their language is Pahari, a mixed dialect of Pushto and Punjabi. The
case of the proposed Hazara province is further complicated because the bureaucracy in that
division is Pakhtun-dominated whereas demographically there is an ethnic overlap. There is
the threat of resistance on the part of the non-Hindko-speaking population of Hazara if
minorities, namely the Pakhtuns, are marginalised in the proposed province.
There is only one dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at present, the Khanpur dam. It is through
this dam alone that all of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is supplied electricity. If Hazara is to be
created the Khanpur dam will lie in the domain of the Hazara province. Thus the rest of KPK
will be left without a dam giving rise to the problem of power generation for the rest of the
province.The rich minerals present in the mountain regions of Hazara and the tourism
generated there is a major source of income for the entire KPK. If Hazara becomes a
province then the rest of the KPK will face considerable shortage of income and resources
that may cause the region to slide further into a plethora of problems. Therefore, if new
provinces are to be created a proper formula for the distribution of resources and royalty
should be developed to overcome such hurdles. If the issue of distribution is sorted and all
the provinces get their fair share there would be a likelihood of new industries developing.
Challenges:
The following challenges Pakistan will face after creation of new provinces;
1. Expenses of new administration
2. Conflict on resource distribution
3. Formation of new groups which will later on demand for their separate province on lingual
basis
4. There would also be administration personnel and Para military forces issue
5. Political forces will also create problems for maintaining their hegemony over each other
in newly made provinces.
6. Development projects can also be affected to an extent.
7. There can be emergence of turf war.
Conclusion:
The issue of division is not as simple as it seems. Many factors will come into play, and the
creation of new provinces shall have a huge impact on different aspects of the country,
including the economy. If new provinces are to be created a proper formula for the
distribution of resources and royalty should be developed to overcome such hurdles. If the
issue of distribution is sorted and all the provinces get their fair share there would be a
likelihood of new industries developing. The creation of new provinces must take into
consideration the concerns of the people rather than being just a political stunt for the
election.
Hence, it can be concluded as Pakistan is economically fragile and politically weak. If it is
further experimented then situation in country can be worsen. Therefore, all stake holders
should be summoned in a meeting being called upon by Prime Minister and creation of new
provinces issue should be resolved on the view that they will be created solely for
administrative purpose.

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Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology

Creation of new provinces in Pakistan:

At present provinces of Balochistan, Sindh, NWFP, harbor a host of grievances against

Provinces in Khyber Pakhtonkhwa:

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