LAHORE: The Lahore High Court accepted on Tuesday an application submitted by a local lawyer who is seeking to prevent the government from creating new provinces.
Admitting the petition for hearing in the second week of September, the court sought a reply from the Attorney General of Pakistan and the Punjab Advocate General.
The petitioner pleaded that the constitution did not allow the formation of new provinces, adding that new legislation was required to legitimise the action.
He said the formation of new provinces was a conspiracy against Pakistan, adding that such a move would weaken the country.
The application further states that the issue of new provinces is being exploited by politicians to hide the problems, facing the country.
The Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) are in favour of a new province and have been debating the issue in the Punjab Assembly.
Earlier this week, in a surprising move that appears to contradict his party’s policies, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said he supports the creation of both a Bahawalpur and a Seraiki province in southern Punjab.
COMMENTS (7)
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New provinces can be created by adopting the procedure laid down in article 238 and 239. In my view the courts have no jurisdiction stay the proceedings. A Bill to create a new province or to alter the limits of a province is required to passed by the senate, the National assembly, and the assembly of the province whose limits are to be altered, or out of which a new province is to be carved with not less than two third majority of their total membership. After this procedure is successfully is completed it will be sent to the President for his assent.
I have written comments rearding Punjab HC has no jurisdiction over the other provinces last night but they were not published. Each province has its own HC to deal with their problems and Lahore HC should confine itself to its own affairs. How would PML-N feel if Sharifs are called by Sind HC? It is this very attitude of Lahore Throne that is the cause of sense of deprivation and hotility against Lahore govt in S. Punjab. Every provincial HC should mind its own business and stop ruling the other provinces. Local affairs should be decided by local courts and if people of S. Punjab want a new province for local rule, it is fine.
Population of Punjab is more than 60% of the population of Pakistan. It makes very good sense to split the province up - no other province has such a massive population.
@naveed imran:
The demand for creation of new provinces has to come from within. Public sentiment in S. Punjab (as in Hazara and now Malaknd too) is overwhelmingly in favor of a break up so much so that even lawmakers belonging to PMLN hailing from the region do not dare (publicly) oppose the notion. The article also mentions PMLN's leadership endorsing the idea. This is not a case of 'an eye for an eye' that if punjab has to be divided, so do the other provinces. Divison of provinces in countries the world over has almost always led to better administration, so your notion of a divison damaging Pakistan is incorrect.
As for the courts, trust them to step into the fray whenever there's significant media attention involved. I agree with grinz09: "The constitution covers all aspects in this matter. There is really no need for courts to come into the picture."
The constitution covers all aspects in this matter. There is really no need for courts to come into the picture.
if new provinces are made then they will be made in all the four provinces,not in just one particular province.this deliberate campaign against punjab will only damage pakistan as a whole becuase if the process of making new provinces starts then there will be new provinces everywhere,in sindh and balochistan also.
good,the ppp aided by certain media groups is trying to break punjab up only to gain political mileage.the ppp thinks they can damage pml-n by destroying punjab,the courts should step in before ppp succeeds in destroying pakistan because in their hunger for more seats the ppp will cause the destruction of pakistan.