Former Information Minister Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani has plunged the nation into another controversy by floating a bill that proposes to amend the Constitution and help facilitate the process of creating new provinces with a simple majority in the parliament. The main purpose of the bill as reported is “to make the procedure of the formation of new provinces simple and reflective of the wishes of the people of the country for faster development of the country”. With this bill the parliament as well as the provincial assembly would only require a two-thirds majority to create a new province.
Has development become so important that it would compel the majority parties to agree to the vivisection of their kingdoms. Ask the PML(N) and the PPP what they thinks of dividing its power base into several units. The reaction can be easily predicted.
During a press conference and on TV shows Durrani argued that the size of the bigger provinces should be cut to make the areas administrable more manageable.
Mr. Durrani’s intention though good would open a Pandora’s box unleashing conspiracy theories and ethnic tensions through the country. Durrani has not put forward any proposal on how a consensus would be developed on resource allocations among say seven or eight provinces when the existing four provinces constantly accuse each another of usurping the others rights, water and revenue.
If Durrani’s intention is to cut Punjab for speedy development to make the units manageable then he should come up with the formula for telling us how he intents to ensure that those provinces would be run democratically and free from the scourge of corruption. Corruption alone is the main factor which has prevented development throughout Pakistan besides lack of resources and incompetence to plan for the future.
The creation of a Serakai province in Punjab, and specially another in the Northern Areas encompassing Gilgit-Baltistan where people keep protesting the absence of political rights would be an issue that should be amicably resolved.
The creation of these new independent units under the federal system would help remove political grievances. The restoration of the provincial status of Bahawalpur would correct a historic wrongdoing initiated by General Yahya Khan who had merged the Province into Punjab, contradicting the wishes of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
Durrani quotes the example of Iran, Turkey, and Central Asian States where the government has created many provinces. What Durrani aught to introduce is a bill to end the feudal system and usher land reforms and not more provinces to satisfy the ego of every political family to have their sons and daughters elected as Governor, CM or minister as more provinces means more chances of having their kith and kin elected in ministerial posts. The tax payers are already under heavy burden paying for the salaries and lavish life style of the elite.
What some one from the cabinet needs to do is to stand up remind the so-called peoples representative that there is little difference between them and the Taliban. Both are responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians. While the lunatic Talibans are killing people and harassing them by the power of guns the elected representatives and Pakistani elite is responsible for economic terrorism which results in the death of thousands of new born babies, children and their mothers each day. Had the Pakistani elite plundered and accumulated less wealth in foreign banks there would have been less poverty in Southern Punjab and other parts of Pakistan.
If More provinces means land reform and equal distribution of resources and opportunity for all, than it would have a positive meaning and impact on the socio-economic conditions of the region or else it would be nothing more than political banditry.
