PML-N praised in Hazara for supporting demand for new provinces
PML-N’s softening stance towards the proposal of carving out new provinces, including one in the Hazara region, earned local political leaders’ praises.
Terming the approach pragmatic and positive, they said it was aimed at winning back its previous political clout, which allowed it to bag a maximum number of National Assembly and provincial assembly seats.
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who now publicly supports the idea of carving out new provinces, including one in southern Punjab and a Hazara province in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, recently formed a 15-member committee headed by Raja Zafarul Haq to weigh various proposals in this regards.
Commenting on the situation, Yousuf Ayub Khan, a former provincial minister and a leader of the Tehrik Suba Hazara (TSH), said that it was a political compulsion for the mainstream political parties to support the Hazara province if they wanted to keep their vote bank intact.
He said that his party would appreciate all parties which lent support to the call for a new province.
“The PML-N’s move is appreciable. This clearly demonstrates political maturity,” said Javed Qureshi, former general secretary of the local bar association.
Naseem Awan, the information secretary of the Hazara Qauma Mahaz, said that the people had demanded a new province after suffering at the hands of anti-Hazara elements for the past six decades, adding that the idea was gaining widespread support.
He said that the support of mainstream political parties, which initially was confined to just Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), was now gaining momentum with the expression of support from the PML-N, which was at first antagonistic to the very idea.
Syed Waqar Shah, a leader of the Freedom Party who contested polls from NA-19, said that the ANP leadership should also support the demand for a Hazara province in a practical way, adding that there were two resolutions pending before the KPK assembly for the past year, adding that it was high time for them to mend fences with the people of Hazara.
On April 12 this year, the TSH in collaboration with the MQM, PML-Q, Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Tehrik-e-Insaaf, Pakistan Awami Tehrik and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and regional groups like the Hazara Qaumi Mahaz, Hazara Awami Itehad and the Hazara Graduates, observed the first anniversary of the violent protests held in support of the demand for a new province in which at least seven people lost their lives in Abbottabad a year ago.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2011.
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Why is PML-N afraid of Seraiki? A Seraiki Province is not equivocal to “Azad Balochistan”. And Seraiki case is not equivalent to Mohajir (Seraikis are no migrants to Punjab). More than half of Punjab’s land is made up of Seraikis, then why is everyone denying their identity and right and mixing it with other issues of the country? Europe is formed on linguistic bases, all the indian states were formed on linguistic bases for better management (UP 200 Million, Goa 0.15 million). What PML-N has got in its mind? Now If making of new provinces is good in itself according to all political parties, including PML(N) , then why they are attaching the conditions that other provinces should also be divided in more provinces. Saraiki Province is a genuine demand as that area has been deprived from basic life necessities since PML-N is ruling Punjab. Rather than playing politics PML-N should respond to the genuine demand of people of Saraiki belt.
PML-N are hypocrites. They betrayed hazara while NWFP was being renamed. Nawaz Sharif first acts then thinks. He is out of hazara forever. He is indirectly responsible for the murder of our people. @Realist.:
It is not a bad idea to make nine provinces like states and let them manage security and finances their selves. This can easily boost some spirit of competition over the other to gain progress and utilization of resources what is best in their interest and eliminate revulsions. Defense, treasury, communication, foreign affairs and justice system can be controlled by the feds. Local security (state or provincial police & courts) and agriculture can be managed by the provincial governments and can be held responsible to federal government in case of unlawful negligence. Federal Government will have defense (military and intelligence agencies), federal justice system, treasury, foreign affairs and natural resources. To run federal government, taxes can be levied on all incomes plus provinces can levy their own taxes and earn royalties from federal government to run their own province. Federal government can help on all disasters in any field of life if necessary otherwise the provinces should manage it. In summary there should be complete independence in utilization of resources by these nine provinces and that system has successfully worked in Pakistan before and after Indian partition in the semi autonomous states like, Swat, Kalabagh, Bahawalpur etc. Military should work under federal government within the framework of parliament and constitution to provide defense and the same with the treasury and justice system. All justices and high ranking officials make way through the parliament’s approval with head of government keeping veto and recomendation power but not appointment power. Provinces initially can be three in Punjab and two each for the rest. This can control terrorism, treasons and exploitations and create a bond to progress within themselves by themselves.
Right...divide them all. Why stop at a Southern Punjab and Hazarajat...why not divide Baluchistan between the Baloch, the Baruhis and the Pathans...or Sindh amongst the Muhajir and the Sindhis...?
Or you could actually tackle the problem at its root by granting full provincial autonomy to each and every existing province and by significantly strengthening local governments at the district level.
Then why not Bhawalpur and Sarieke provinces!
Devolution, decentralization, and the creation of new provinces or autonomous regions can only work when there is a strong and competent central government. Creating new provinces on ethnic lines does not totally address the problems of service delivery, corruption, administrative competence, and lawlessness, among others. It only reinforces tribalism, parochialism, and short-sightedness. It also only politically and materially benefits the local elite and scions of political dynasties who could just as easily avoid accountability and oversight from the center.
Rather than breaking up the province, why don't we support a less controversial name for the province?
That way everyone can be reconciled.
the devise of new provinces have both arguments and counter arguments. more provinces means more infrastructure and current status means allocation default with in the province and unequal distribution of wealth. but aint we have similar demands that all of our divisions should have same infrastructure like Islamabad. the point of contradiction is to decide whether the allocation of wealth should be based on their own GNP or population. are we ready to divide the country on the basis of land or population. as we form provinces by dividing land it gives you better perspective but population divide is of no use.
Yes,New Provinces is the need of our nation,in this situation it is very necessary the journey of our country towards new provinces.It is the only solution to stop violation in this scenario.
People of Hazara Love PML-N.
Demand for a Hazara province is genuine.It is practical and would serve the region well.Its far flung areas are not reachable from Peshawar. Furthermore, once it takes control of its revenues from Tarbela Dam, the sting of NAP would be taken out and its plunder of the ex-NWFP fully frustrated..
Divide all provinces and make 12 provinces out of current Pakistan. Name all like
Pakistan 1, Pakistan 2, Pakistan 3.... and alike. This will lift Pakistan as a nation. We can also work like UAE pattern to form United States of Pakistan. All groups will have their right to rule their respective regions and everyone will be happy. Give them right to choose name of their Province once their respective assemblies are formed. This is also applicable if we call them Sindh 1 Sindh 2 and Balochistan 1 and Balochistan 2. Be practical and save Pakistan.
The reason being given by politicians bent on simply securing vote banks and demolishing their rivals in the guise of dividing the country into more provinces is to improve governance and administration. This could be the lamest excuse, if not biggest lie, ever said by proponents of new provinces. Statements like "improving governance and administration" reside only in the realm of rhetoric in this country. For more than 60 years, the people of Pakistan continue to search for competent administrators and leaders with real academic degrees to effectively run their country. The word "governance" has been casually bandied about by dynastic politicians who may not even have an understanding of what that term means, much less how to apply it in practical terms. The fact that politicians can't even come up with an honest-to-goodness budget program every year without constantly revising figures is one manifestation of a government which does not know what governance is. In creating new provinces, these politicians are biting more than they could chew. BETTER ADDRESS FIRST THE CONCERNS AND GRIEVANCES OF THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF LAST YEAR'S FLOODS, INSTEAD OF CREATING NEW PROVINCES. That would be real governance. That is what the common man needs.
Gud Going.. one more Long March Mian Sahab !