Federation confronts a dilemma
Thursday December 15, 2005 (1623 PST)
Riaz Missen
riazmissen@yahoo.com
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• Question: "Should Kalabagh Dam be constructed?"
The political parties originating in smaller province of Pakistan are against Kala Bagh Dam (KBD);
even PPP-P can`t risk confronting the ire of Sindhi nationalists � it has announced to lead campaign against the dam.
Balochistan, though with a remote interest in the issue, is opposing it simply because Sindh and NWFP assemblies have passed resolutions against the big reservoir. Punjab has been the main proponent of the dam but its support has always backfired with a result that KBD remains a controversial issue.
KBD has become a zero-sum game between Punjab and the smaller province � the centre has so far preferred status quo to ensure its neutrality. When the president or the premier say the dam is vital for Pakistan, the apprehensions of smaller provinces get stronger that the reservoir could be built even though they oppose it. Such misperceptions have persisted since the idea of constructing dam was conceived; no serious effort has proved successful to undo these misperceptions.
There are four nationalities because there are four federating units in Pakistan and
sub-nationalism has proved the greatest hurdle in the construction of the dam that the centre insists is desirable and feasible. The entities calling themselves as Sindhis, Pushtoons and Balochs have stood against the reservoir; Punjab has become its greatest supporter.
These so-called nationalities claim certain territory, language, culture and set of inalienable rights as they make part of Pakistan.
The
nationalists of smaller provinces often raise the question as to why their leadership faces the charges of treason so often. Why Bhutto was hanged while Nawaz Sharif was allowed to leave the country after a military take over? Why Bengalis could not remain loyal to Pakistan despite being a majority? Why the federation accedes to Punjab `s demand that national resources should be distributed among provinces on population basis?
While Punjabis dominate army and federal bureaucracy, nationalists of smaller provinces argue, democracy does not suit the interest of Punjab; defence budget of the country remains unnecessarily higher; the people of smaller provinces remain without basic necessities of life even in the 21 st century. To them, none but Punjab is responsible for the woes of the country as well as its people. Then, why federation should always follow Punjab?
Punjab has no credible means to undo misperceptions against it. Federation bears no responsibility to do this job for the sole reason that it has to stick to the principle of neutrality. Similarly, the smaller provinces of the country can`t change their ways, for they are bound to tread on the trodden path. Would KBD become a reality only through the support of Punjab? Should federation construct the dam when majority of its units are deadly opposed to it?
The status-quo does not favour the federation at all. It needs to remove misperceptions against it to confront the global age boldly. It simply can`t afford ill feelings among a considerable part of its population.
The federation can`t do away sub-nationalism; the people will not cease to think about themselves as Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochs and Pushtoons � about fifty-eight languages are spoken in Pakistan.
Granting more autonomy to provinces will not necessarily prove advantageous to the federation. It has provinces larger enough, even larger than many countries of Europe in terms of size and population, to accommodate the interests of all the people that constitute them. Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta are inaccessible to majority of the areas within a respective province. The whole of central Pakistan, an area suitable for agriculture and livestock, has the least say in the decision-making process of the country provinces.
Granting autonomy to provinces will promote parochial tendencies necessarily harming the national interest � the newly introduced devolution of power plan will fall prey to this initiative. There is no guarantee that more autonomy to provinces will bring consensus on issues concerning economic development and national security. Besides, the disparities among different regions of these provinces will become wider; every province has more than one linguistic/cultural group in its fold; a permanent dominance of the one on the other(s) will ultimately harm the interest of federation.
Pakistan can`t delay construction of water reservoirs and ports. It can`t afford controversies regarding its socio-economic development plans. Global age is just staring into its face while the country has got turbulent neighbourhood. Many a strategic mysteries will be ultimately resolved if Pakistan restructures itself to ensure good governance in the country; improving standards of life through developing domestic market and bringing transparency in the working of public institutions are necessary for its dignified survival in global age.
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