Senate deputy chief proposes forming 9 new provinces

Afridi's proposal includes establishment of a province dedicated to Karachi

LAHORE:

Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Mohammad Afridi has expressed his proposal for the establishment of nine new provinces, including one dedicated to Karachi.

Afridi, a senator representing the tribal districts, put forward his recommendation during an interview with a private TV channel.

He emphasised the need to create distinct provinces for Karachi, the formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), and the Hazara district. Additionally, he advocated dividing both Punjab and Balochistan into three provinces each.

During the interview, Afridi highlighted the vast expanse of Balochistan and emphasised the necessity of three provinces within the region.

Similarly, he stressed the benefits of three separate provinces in Punjab. Afridi firmly believed that the creation of more provinces would greatly benefit Pakistan as a whole.

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Responding to concerns raised by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) regarding the demands made by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for a separate province for Karachi, Afridi pointed out that the National Finance Commission (NFC) award was already established through the 18th Amendment.

He clarified that once new provinces are formed, the NFC award would be allocated accordingly.

Furthermore, Afridi acknowledged that the merger of Fata with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) was perhaps rushed, noting that commitments and promises should have been secured.

He expressed disappointment that the government had not fulfilled its promises to the people of the former FATA region, resulting in ongoing difficulties.

Afridi had also approached Finance Minister Ishaq Dar regarding the financial challenges faced by the country, emphasising that these issues could be addressed through the creation of new provinces.

The topic of establishing new provinces gained renewed attention when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senators introduced two bills in March, proposing the formation of South Punjab and Hazara provinces.

These bills, one presented by PML-N Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hassan for South Punjab and the other by PML-N Senator Pir Sabir Shah for Hazara, were scheduled for discussion by the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

Meanwhile, former prime minister and PPP Vice-Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani announced plans for consultations with all political parties to present a bill in the assembly for the creation of a Seraiki province in the near future.