Dividing Punjab?

[ajpirzada]

Sunday, June 28, 2009
By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD: Sharp differences within the ranks of the PML-N surfaced in the National Assembly on Friday over the issue of a Seraiki province when its MNA Hanif Abbasi, without naming anyone, snubbed the likes of Javed Hashmi, who had joined the voices backing this move.

The top PML-N leadership reportedly fears that such a move, which is said to have strong backing of the top PPP leadership, would lead to erosion of its political authority in case a new province was created in the Punjab. The loud voice of Javed Hashmi in this regard reportedly rang alarm bells in the party ranks and Hanif Abbasi was tasked to give a shut-up call to those who were favouring this demand.

Meanwhile, the supporters of this move may get more reasons to demand their own province when the National Assembly was informed during the question hour that out of the Rs 20 billion loan obtained from the World Bank by the Ministry of Communication to construct mega roads in the country, not a single project was launched in the southern Punjab. Out of 18 projects, eight were started in the central and northern Punjab. Likewise, out of the Rs 20 billion taken as loan from the Asian Development Bank, only one 37-km road project was started on the Multan-Muzaffargarh road.

One official said this kind of discrimination in the allocation of development funds to the most poverty-stricken and backward areas had already led many to fear that the next battle ground after the tribal areas might be these areas as militancy was on the rise there.

Earlier, the Punjab Assembly witnessed hue and cry over the issue when a group of MPs hailing from southern Punjab favoured this demand. They also chanted slogans against the centralisation of powers and concentration of development in Lahore and its adjoining areas after it was pointed out that only a Rs 5 billion development budget was fixed for the Seraiki areas against over Rs100 billion for the central and northern Punjab.

The PLM-N top leadership is keeping quiet as only provincial minister Rana Sanaullah tried to counter those who were demanding a separate province. Now, Hanif Abbasi has joined Rana Sanaullah.

However, PML-N Senator Pervez Rashid told The News from Lahore that so far his party had not started any debate within its ranks on the issue. He said the views of the parliamentarians were their own.

He said that it was not only the PML-N where this kind of sharp division was being seen on this issue, but it would also happen with the rest of the political parties like the PPP and the PML-Q when their leaders start discussion on this issue. Pervez Rashid said discussions about new provinces or the administrative units take place all over the world and there was no harm in discussing them. But, he questioned those elements, particularly Mohammad Ali Durrani, who were in favour of a Bhawalpur or a Seraiki province, that on what basis they wanted the division of the Punjab.

He said if this was on the lingual basis, many other nationalities with different languages living in the province would also seek separate provinces. Rasheed also asked whether this division would only be confined to the Punjab or rest of the provinces would also face similar arrangements.

But some background interviews with some top political sources revealed that the PPP was set to raise this issue on a much bigger scale in the days to come, as it believed that this might play havoc with the politics of PML-N in the Seraiki areas and the party might exploit it in the next elections. Although, in the past this kind of debate did not generate much interest among the Seraiki voters during the elections, but this time, the situation seems quite different, as not only the PPP is backing this move but MPs from this region have also started making this demand in parliament for the first time.

PPP MNAs from Muzaffargarh Qayum Jatoi, Moazam Jaoti and Jamshed Dasti were the first to make this demand from President Asif Zardari in their party meetings and later they raised it on the floor of the House. However, this issue got more weight recently when Senator Mohammad Ali Durrani announced to launch a movement to get the Bhawalpur province restored in line with the commitment of then prime minister Ghulam Mohammad when one unit was formed.

The political analysts said the PPP knew it very well that this move would marginalise the PML-N to the central and northern Punjab as the south might go for a party that would support the creation of a new unit.

One source said the move by PPP leaders has already started paying the dividends, as the PML-N was being seen sharply divided after Javed Hashmi’s loud statement in favour of a province followed a furious outburst against this idea by Hanif Abbasi on the floor of the House on Friday.

But the sources said the PPP leadership would face the real test as and when it would adopt the issue as its official policy, and one would see how easily it might convince its Punjabi politicians about the division of the province.
Seraiki province: a bone of contention for many

 

[ajpirzada]

i dont know about the name 'saraiki province' but punjab definately needs to be broken down to reduce its influence. also southern punjab needs more resources. but rit now balochistan should be our top priority.
i realised today that city gov karachi alone has a budget of 59bn while CDA (islamabad) has a budget of 29bn. add them up and u get 98bn. which is more than the total budget for the whole of balochistan (79bn).

 

[Omar1984]

If Punjab province needs to be broken down because southern Punjab has saraiki speakers then also Balochistan needs to be broken down because north has pashto speakers south has baluchi speakers, also then NWFP needs to be broken down because western part has pashto speakers and eastrn part has hindko speakers, also then sindh needs to be broken down because karachi is mostly urdu speakers and rest of sindh is sindhi speakers.

Pakistan is very diverse, we need to embrace the diversity rather than separate ourselves from it. If you want to break down provinces, then there should be better reasons for doing it other than linguistic and ethnic differences.

 

[SSGPA1]

i dont know about the name 'saraiki province' but punjab definately needs to be broken down to reduce its influence. also southern punjab needs more resources. but rit now balochistan should be our top priority.
i realised today that city gov karachi alone has a budget of 59bn while CDA (islamabad) has a budget of 29bn. add them up and u get 98bn. which is more than the total budget for the whole of balochistan (79bn).

Total population of Balochistan is less than the total population of Karachi and Islamabad.

Also these are fuill fledge cities with high maintenance costs for the infrastructure but Balochistan is mostly empty and barren, thanks to the Baloch sardars.

 

[ajpirzada]

If Punjab province needs to be broken down because southern Punjab has saraiki speakers then also Balochistan needs to be broken down because north has pashto speakers south has baluchi speakers, also then NWFP needs to be broken down because western part has pashto speakers and eastrn part has hindko speakers, also then sindh needs to be broken down because karachi is mostly urdu speakers and rest of sindh is sindhi speakers.

Pakistan is very diverse, we need to embrace the diversity rather than separate ourselves from it. If you want to break down provinces, then there should be better reasons for doing it other than linguistic and ethnic differences.

thats not the point here. point is that southern punjab has been ignored since bahawalpur was taken in punjab.
another thing is that other provinces feel threatened by punjab because of its influence. majority of pakistanis live in this province. if its size is reduced, not only will southern punjab get its share but also punjabs influence will be reduced to some extent. your power structure in pakistan will become more balanced

 

[ajpirzada]

Total population of Balochistan is less than the total population of Karachi and Islamabad.

Also these are fuill fledge cities with high maintenance costs for the infrastructure but Balochistan is mostly empty and barren, thanks to the Baloch sardars.

ppl came these two cities coz they were developed. lot of money was spent on these two cities. and obviously lahore as well.
if we invest in balochistan and build social and economic infrastructure, definately population will increase there as well.
there is not a single gud university in balochistan. not a single gud hospital (at national level) is there. roads look more like dirt tracks. now atleast we got a significant population there which deserves these few things. no doubt those ppl dont lik being part of pakistan.

 

[Omar1984]

thats not the point here. point is that southern punjab has been ignored since bahawalpur was taken in punjab.
another thing is that other provinces feel threatened by punjab because of its influence. majority of pakistanis live in this province. if its size is reduced, not only will southern punjab get its share but also punjabs influence will be reduced to some extent. your power structure in pakistan will become more balanced

Punjab does have the most population but it always had the most population and majority live in rural villages and are farmers, they dont have much power.

I think once we develop Balochistan, we should open new job oppurtunites in that province so people from other provinces can settle in that largest province (by size). Balochistan is the largest in size and the least populated, but some Baloch get mad when other ethnic groups settle in their province.

Its not Punjabi people's fault that we are most populated we were always like that and we invite everyone from Pakistan to work and live in our province...the same cant be said about the other very large province of Pakistan.

I think each province should be broken down into more provinces, so no one feels people from one province are controlling the country and others dont feel unwelcomed in a province thats part of their country.

 

[salman nedian]

If Punjab province needs to be broken down because southern Punjab has saraiki speakers then also Balochistan needs to be broken down because north has pashto speakers south has baluchi speakers, also then NWFP needs to be broken down because western part has pashto speakers and eastrn part has hindko speakers, also then sindh needs to be broken down because karachi is mostly urdu speakers and rest of sindh is sindhi speakers.

Pakistan is very diverse, we need to embrace the diversity rather than separate ourselves from it. If you want to break down provinces, then there should be better reasons for doing it other than linguistic and ethnic differences.

We should divide provinces for the sake of better management. It also will create competition among the provinces when they see one area is more developed and other is less developed. I think we should learn from the history now and make our provinces more autonomous for better governance.

 

[salman nedian]

Punjab does have the most population but it always had the most population and majority live in rural villages and are farmers, they dont have much power.

I think once we develop Balochistan, we should open new job oppurtunites in that province so people from other provinces can settle in that largest province (by size). Balochistan is the largest in size and the least populated, but some Baloch get mad when other ethnic groups settle in their province.

Its not Punjabi people's fault that we are most populated we were always like that and we invite everyone from Pakistan to work and live in our province...the same cant be said about the other very large province of Pakistan.

I think each province should be broken down into more provinces, so no one feels people from one province are controlling the country and others dont feel unwelcomed in a province thats part of their country.

The problem is voting rights. Let’s take an example of Karachi and sindh where large numbers of Pushtun brothers live and they vote for ANP which has no support in the majority population areas. So when people from other provinces support their parties and vote for them rather than the local parties than the local people think that they are eating their rights.

 

[ajpirzada]

Punjab does have the most population but it always had the most population and majority live in rural villages and are farmers, they dont have much power.

I think once we develop Balochistan, we should open new job oppurtunites in that province so people from other provinces can settle in that largest province (by size). Balochistan is the largest in size and the least populated, but some Baloch get mad when other ethnic groups settle in their province.

Its not Punjabi people's fault that we are most populated we were always like that and we invite everyone from Pakistan to work and live in our province...the same cant be said about the other very large province of Pakistan.

I think each province should be broken down into more provinces, so no one feels people from one province are controlling the country and others dont feel unwelcomed in a province thats part of their country.

i know it has always been lik that. however bahawalpur was never a part of punjab. it became so later on.
but then again punjab was a part of indian subcontinent (pre 1947) where there were many other provinces with large population. post partition, whole demographic balance changed which tilted power centre towards punjab. and we need to accept that things havent been smooth since then. now to bring back balance to this power structure in pakistan, punjab has to be broken down. that is not the only benefit. resource distribution will also be much balanced than it is now (110bn for central and northern punjab but only 5bn for southern punjab, in comin yr's development budget).
balochistan will take a long time to develop. lik i said earlier, total budget for only islamabad and karachi is more than that of whole balochistan.

 

[Patriot]

This should be done soon so that other provinces should not feel bad about Punjab.Punjab should be broken into different small provinces.

 

[sayed]

Pakistan surely need more provinces especially Punjab and Baluchistan are very big. Imagine one has to travel from Gawadar to Quetta or from Bahawalpur to Lahore for hours to get something minor done.
It will help fast track development and people will be able to resolve matters locally.

Pakistan Zindabad

 

[SSGPA1]

ppl came these two cities coz they were developed. lot of money was spent on these two cities. and obviously lahore as well.
if we invest in balochistan and build social and economic infrastructure, definately population will increase there as well.
there is not a single gud university in balochistan. not a single gud hospital (at national level) is there. roads look more like dirt tracks. now atleast we got a significant population there which deserves these few things. no doubt those ppl dont lik being part of pakistan.

I don't know when you visited Balochistan last but I have friends and family there who claim that during Musharraf's govt. alot of infrastructure was built.

I agree that funds should increase but we should also see how the funds are used.

 

[muse]

Pakistan's 4 provinces should be done away with - they proven to be a net detrement to the idea of Pakistan as a nation state.

Why does Pakistan need these 4 provinces, why does it need this arachaic, ineffective form of administration?

If greater representation, more immediate and effective administration and delivery and access to governement services are desired "goods", Pakistan will be better served by a greater number of administrative units, perhaps we may consider going to districts as the highest unit of administration?

 

[muse]

The issue of local governement is closely related to the issue of effective governance and delivery/access of/to government services. Local governement is most direct and empowering unit of administration, as it allows issues that directly effect the lives of citizens to handled by government. And yet, without local government can we deal effectively with using the district system as the higest unit of administration?? Politicians don't like the local government system, Why? Is it because it allows citizenry to hold politicians accountable?? The piece below is published in the News International, a media conglomerate known for it's intense hostility towards Musharraf and any idea it can associate with him :


CCI to decide fate of LBs system




Monday, June 29, 2009

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The Council of Common Interests (CCI) would determine the fate of the existing Local Bodies system as the government has decided to constitute the council next month.

The president and the prime minister have decided to place the issue before the Council since it has become a bone of contention among the provinces. Three provinces — the Punjab, Balochistan and the NWFP — are keen to scrap the existing system that was invented by former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. The Sindh government, under the pressure of its major ally, is not interested to reverse it and wants to preserve the existing local bodies.

Meanwhile, the president and the prime minister have also decided to establish the National Finance Commission (NFC) and that too will come into being next month. Highly-placed sources told The News here the other day that the two had decided to constitute the CCI and the NFC separately. The CCI will be established under the Article 153 of the Constitution and it will be appointed by the president. The four chief ministers will be part of the council while Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will appoint four members to represent the federal government. The prime minister will be the chairman of the council.