New Provinces in Pakistan???

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

In line with General Musharraf’s plan for devolution of power down to the district level, I think Pakistan’s whole federal set-up should be radically altered. Why does Paksitan with a population of 140 million still have to have only four provinecs- with one province,Punjab accounting for 55% of the entire poulation, and therby bigger than the other three provinces and territories put together?

If Germany with only 80 million population can have 16 states, and little Switzerland with only 7.5 million people can have 26 states, why can’t Pakistan many more provinces?

As such I believe, that getting rid of the four existing provinces would be far to difficult, instead the four provinces should be elevated to the status of States with a small ‘central’ state government with limited powers (mainly coordinating powers). Then each of the four 'states’s should be sub-divided into eight provinces each - making a total of 32 provinces. The new provinces could look like this:-

1)State of Punjab

  • 8 provinces i.e Potohar, Cholistan (the former Bahawalpur state), Lahore(the metropolitan area), Dera Jat (Western Punjab centered on D.G. Khan), Cholistan (former Bahawalpur state).
  1. State of Sindh
  • 8 provinces i.e. Karachi, Hyderabad, Tharparkar, Upper Sindh etc, etc, etc, etc
  1. State of Pakhtunwah (NWFP)
  • 8 provinces i.e. Hazara, Chitral, Kohistan, Peshawer etc etc etc etc
  1. State of Balochistan
  • 8 provinces i.e Makran, Brahuistan (centered on Kalat), Quettan, Upper Balochistan (the Pakhtoon areas) etc etc etc etc

This would at least maintain the fiction of the four old provinces/states but real power would lie with the new provinces. The new provinces would result in the creation of majority Punjabi, Seraiki, Sindhi, Mohajir (Karachi and Hyderabad), Balochi, Brahui, Makrani, Balochi Pakhtoon, Pakhtoon, Hindko, Kohistani and Chitrali (Khowari).

2

Kmailik

How would dividing our provinces solve our illiteracy, health, racial, employment problems?
How would you divide the provinces, with the close cultural, language ties?
How would you control racial differences in all those states?
Wouldn’t we be giving more space to our enemies to spread hatred between us, as not all of our provinces are equally developed, and therefore some of the states will not have as many facilities as others may have, hence better wholes to take advantage of.

3

Such division already exists in the form of divisions, districts and cities. I believe you are suggesting 'westernization' of these divisions by calling them 'states' instead of 'zila' and 'tehsil' etc. The end result will still be the same. Its not how u divide it. Its how you rule it. If the people incharge dont do anything, what good is it? Start right from the family level. If the parents dont do their job properly, they wont raise good kids, whether they have one or 10. Going further, if a governer doesnt do his job properly, he wont have a well run province, state, division, district or city, no matter how big or small it is. The bottom lines are lack of education and excess of corruption. Tip the scales the other way and maybe then we have something to work with.

4

Akif and Sabah you make good points. Education is the biggest problem in Pakistan, along with corruption and mismanagement etc. But part of the reason why this is so, is because we have a unbalanced constitutional and federal structure, where parties (dominated by feudals, waderas, khans and tribals) have decided the destiny of the country - not the common people.

It is a feudalistic mentality to believe just because 62% of our population is illetrate, they have no say in the running in the country or should not have a say. Pakistan is not a true federation - there are only two layers of elected government i.e the federal and provincial governments. The so-called 'divisions' in each province are not run by elected governments but by officials appointed the federal governments, and district bodies have very little power. Even provincial administrations are headed by a federally appointed Governor, who wields enormous power, and who can conspire to make trouble for a provincial government which is not of the same party at the center.

My idea of upgrading the four provinces to states, and then sudividing each state into 8 provinces each will benefit those ethnic groups who presently feel alienated (both at provincial and federal level - Mohajirs, Seraiki's , Hindko's,Chitrali's, Brahui's etc. It will also make governace much easier especially in the rural areas i.e in Balochistan where for many Quetta seems a world away from their world, and where Islamabad is probably viewed as in a foreign country.

The enemy will not be able to take advantage because the provinces will fulfill the genuine rights of minorities like the Mohajirs and Seraiki's - but within their resoective states and Pakistan. To counter ethnic disharmony children should be taught 4 languages from day one - their own mother tongue (Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Balochi etc), the national tongue - Urdu, English and Arabic. Later on in their eduaction i.e at age 11 or 12 children should be obliged to study one more provincial language up to fluency level. Indeed I think that the federation should be responsible for language policy and should dictate that all children should spend two full years (full-time) at language schools (say between the ages of 9 and 11).

5

Nope. You don't divide provinces like pieces of a cake. There is always some rationale behind some act. And let that be decided by the people of the provinces. May be some refrenda.

Fata Morgana

PS: More divisions become more expensive. So more taxes only to govern.

6

Kmalik thats only 5 provinces and you mentioned cholistan twice.

punjab can at best be divided in two four.

cholistan(former bahawlpur state), seraiki( southwestern punjab), central punjab with lahore the capital and potohar with rawalpindi the capital.

7

illogical how can there be a tharparkar province when it is only one district.

8

:)......In light of the recent upheaval and back Lash against Punjabis and Punjabi businesses by our Sindhi Populace upon BB's Assassination..:(

It would be far better to Unite Punjab and Sindh into ONE Unit.

Punjabi, Sindhi, Siraikhi and Hinko are almost similar languages...

We call this United Domain..........SINDSAGAR...............:biggthumb

9

Re: New Provinces in Pakistan???

^ I am sure your intentions are good, but the one unit of West Pakistan turned out to be a mistake in the past. Our brothers in NWFP and Baluchistan might see this unification of the provinces of Punjab and Sindh in a negative way.

10

Re: New Provinces in Pakistan???

And thanks for reviving an 8 year old thread asif :hehe:

Time Pass - March 2012
11

Spock,

Aren't reviving of old threads are banned by moderators? Or this one is exception.:)

12

Re: New Provinces in Pakistan???

old thread! :hoonh: