Gilani was speaking in the National Assembly after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had protested the non-inclusion of their resolution on the creation of new provinces was not included in the agenda.
The prime minister said that his party was supportive on the creation of new provinces and said that a majority of the members were with him. “I don’t know when they will support you, but they support me now.”
The MQM had earlier threatened to boycott the National Assembly session. Haider Abbas Rizvi had said that the resolution was not on agenda, to which Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi responded by saying that the resolution had not been brought forward and therefore could not be included in the agenda.
Awami National Party (ANP) leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour had said that the matter was provincial and a decision on it would be unconstitutional.
During yesterday’s session, several MQM and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) members raised slogans slated with the word “debate” — supporting the creation of Seraiki and Hazara provinces. The party’s stance met with firm resistance from the Pakistan Muslim League Nwaz (PML-N), with Chaudhry Nisar stating that “a party in Karachi cannot make provinces in other provinces.”
The Awami National Party (ANP) has also criticised the MQM’s position on the matter, casting doubts over the party’s sincerity towards the creation of new provinces.
“If you [MQM] hate Pakhtuns then how you can be sincere in your demands of a Hazara province,” said ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, who later staged a walkout claiming that proceedings were not held under parliamentary norms.
MQM leader Farooq Sattar, speaking to the media, said that it was because of the MQM that Gilani had given his assurances on the floor of the house today.
'New provinces are not formed by chanting slogans'
Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan once again lashed out at the MQM, stating new provinces were not formed by chanting slogans or holding rallies.
Nisar, who was also speaking to the media after the session, said that the government’s partners were deceiving the people of Pakistan and Karachi, adding that they quit the government one day, make a deal and then come back to the government.
The PML-N leader said his party was in favour of new provinces. He questioned why politics were being played on the issue when there was consensus.
He said the MQM was talking about democracy, but it had been scared of their rival, Afaq Ahmed, and had pressurised the government into keeping him imprisoned.
Nisar added that Punjab would be able to stand divisions on linguistic bases, but Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh will not be able to.
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@blithe: @modassar ali: ya i agree with you.
all my pakistani brother please be think and careful about your country. and be united do not demand for the division. ya jo system chal raha hai ise main bahtry lany ka sochain ap political parties kay kahny par apny views apny mission say na hato please and be think about Pakistan of Jinah.
@fus: Nicely Put.
@smj:
Mate, you have no idea what you are talking about.
Lahore provide the a resources for rural Punjab and Pakistan. Not only the landed Seirki gentry live here but also a lot of the loburers are from there.
PML(N) + ANP = Hypocrites
3 province in Sindh 4 province in Punjab 4 in Baluchistan 3 in Khyber
Let Gillani do whatever he can ,but he cannot divert the attention of masses from real issues.
Watch out Dear Prime Minister! Let me Tell you once you start this division of Provinces, you won't be able to stop it! it will go till sindh where to PPP it hurts the most!
This is the appropriate time to establish a Commission for creating more provinces.
@smj, well said, people don't understand, there is difference between Sindh and other provinces. If Multan or Abbotabad were like Karachi then things would have been different. In Sindh, infact whole Pakistan, Karachi is the only megapolitan city that provides jobs to people of city, sind and ppl form all over Pakistan. People of Karachi and the city itself have been discrimnated by governments in jobs and development, but being a big city with huge private sector it has been able to provide jobs, health and education to its people, which include Urdu speaking and rest of the communities. That is why even with all its issue you will see ppl migrating to Karachi. All Karachi needs is a good local body system that work for the people and by the people. If if there was a case where there was no development in Karachi, and even after generating good percentage of revenue, all the development was happening in Larkana or some other region then people of Karachi could have complained.
Open your eyes and brains, the new provinces would still be part of Pakistan, it is not as if anyone is asking for a new country. Bhawalpur was never part of Punjab in the first place, similalry Multan at one time was part of Sind, Probably all the provinces should be divided or there should be more districts with financial autonomy so that the money allocated to a district is not used for development of some other district. Why can't we be more willing to understand the issues of other people?
They can't handle Balcochistan how come they going to manange more provinces. Doesn't make any sense.
Isnt punjabs authority a monopoly against rest of pakistan? Why not balance the uneven distribution of power by providing seriki ppl their right of self governance!
We have 27 administrative units in Pakistan (Divisions). The boundries are clearly defined and there is no conflict on names. Make each of them a province if it is economically viable. Otherwise 2 divisions can be joined to make a province. Countries half of our size and population have more than 16 provinces(states) , why can't we have aroun 20.
Punjab constitute of 62% of population. This gives identity issue to the rest of provinces when Punjab gets majority alloted quotas in National Assembly, Army, government jobs etc. Also, managing that huge population through Lahore has proven a failure when majority of the development funds goes to Lahore and areas around it leaving southern punjab/siraiki belt undeveloped and poor. This also lead the area to become a terrorism breading ground when the officials looks the other way and self made social organisation act as they are helping out the underdeveloped masses.
This is the same story in KPK when funds are allocated and used by Peshawar leaving Hazara areas.
Sindh/Karachi, on the other hand is a different story. Karachi produces work and majority of revenue to Sindh. It gives chances to the people from interior sindh to come and work here as compare to their own areas. Making karachi a new sooba will create ethnic violence as well as it does not do any good for either mohajirs or Sindhis living on both sides of toll plaza. No parties of Sindh are asking for Karachi Sooba anyway.
The creation of new provinces in Punjab and KPK is a national issue and has all the merits to be discussed in National Assembly and presented by any party.
@Qaisrani: Well Said, Bro!
Seraiki province is a tribute to seraiki language..While the whole pakistan is made up of different linguistic units..Now look at Punjab after punjabis,Sindh after sindhis,Balochistan after balochis,kashmir after kashmiris, pakhtunkhwah after pakhtunes or pachtunes......then why it is only the seraiki which has to suffer..Don`t b biased brothers....Let the tribes b there rather than diffusing them....Seraikistan Zindabad,Pakistan Paindabad.
Same was the case with the fall of eastern pakistan-internal dilemmas always gulp the real quandaries; so is the history of our country. Economic problems, geographical security issues and many more can be taken care rather than this kind of things to take care of. but alaaaaaas we even are not able to sort out our internal affairs.
How is the demand for hazara province is ‘Hate for Pakhtuns’ ??
Well it infringes on the rights of pukhtoons to further subjugate the hazara people of course!
Altaf Bhai iam with you if u want to make province of pakistan where you currently live in U.K
If saraiki sooba yes,then why not muhajir sooba yes also??
if new provinces are being made on language basis such as saraiki,then a new province for the urdu speaking peopl should also be made in sindh.
this is all an attempt to set a precedent for making new provinces.first sariaki province will be made and then it will be used as an example to say,why not a new province in sindh also?
if punjab and kpk can be divided up then why not sindh? a new province for the migrants should be made in karachi and hyderabad.
More Provinces in Pakistan may be created by following principles. 1) On the basis of Geography: Creation of Provinces on the basis of Geography covering an area of not more than 10,000 square miles, special preferences should be given to climate and land similarity of the covering areas, so that development policies and planning could be made in view of geography requirements and characteristics.In this way more or less 30 provinces can be created in Pakistan
2)On the basis of Population. Creation of Provinces on the basis of population covering an population of 10 million peoples, special preferences should be given to race and ethnic(language) similarity of the covering population, so that development policies and planning could be made in veiw of population specific desires and requirements which also include development of local culture,language and human genetic improvement and political stability. In this way more or less 18 provinces can be created in Pakistan
1st time MQM and JUIF are doing something positive.hats off to them for speaking on behalf of voiceless and helpless Saraikistanis.
I wonder why PMNL hates Saraikistanis? they want continuation of south Punjab people even now in 21st century as well.By the logic given by Chaudhray Nisar PMLN shoould not speak for the matters pertinent to Sindh,Fata and mainland KPK.I wonder why ANP and PMLN supported renaming NWFP to KPK on ethnic lines?
Long live Saraikistan.End the colonization now.
i don't understand why the media doesn't raise the valid question that if new provinces are being given to the saraiki and hazara people then why not a new mohajir sooba for the immigrants who migrated to karachi and hyderabad after partition.
The two parties from sindh namely the ppp and mqm should focus on building new provinces in sindh first and then start worrying about dividing up the other provinces.
if new provinces are to be made in pakistan,a new province for the urdu,memoni,gujrati speaking people in sindh should be made first.We've contributed a lot to the development of karachi and hyderabad,we deserve to have a province of our own .
How is the demand for hazara province is 'Hate for Pakhtuns' ??? any connection??....can please somebody explain?
please mqm,listen to your votebank in karachi and hyderabad.make a new province for us first in out of the current sindh,then talk about dividing other provinces.
I hate all those who hate PASHTUNS.
What MQM has to do with a hazara or saraiki province....altaf bhai should remove his ray ban and see what looks to be a logical point from anp and pmln.