A day after President Asif Ali Zardari recommended the formation of a commission on new provinces, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said new provinces should be made “wherever needed to strengthen Pakistan”.
The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is pushing for two new provinces – Multan and Bahawalpur. But Nawaz said there was a need to make Hazara and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) separate provinces.
He was speaking to the media after inaugurating a sports ground in Lahore on Friday.
On Thursday, President Zardari sent a reference to the National Assembly speaker asking her to set up a commission which will look into the possibility of making Multan and Bahawalpur provinces.
“Zardari’s philosophy on new provinces is based on petty interests as he believes that his party may win the upcoming elections (by using) such issues,” Nawaz said.
Asked about President Zardari’s allegation that the PML-N was behind the demand for a Mohajir province, he said, “It is not befitting the president to play tricks like this. He has set off the debate of new provinces, so he has to face its consequences.”
Nawaz added, “I have great love for my country, I could have called for the division of Sindh (to play politics) but I chose not to.”
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif rejected outright the proposal for a commission, saying that Bahawalpur province did not need the establishment of any panel as it merely has to be reinstated to its original status.
Shahbaz also said he never demanded that Karachi be made a province and that there was ‘mischief’ behind this proposal. He added that there was no room for the creation of a new province in Sindh and that certain elements were exposing their hypocritical attitude in this regard.
The question of who was behind the wall-chalking in Sindh demanding a Mohajir province ‘is no secret’, according to the chief minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2012.
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This man after getting a cold response in Sindh,is now trying to divide Pakhtunkhwa. We have yet to see, jackals dividing Pride Lands. nawaz Sharif better concentrate on his centralPunjab. pashtuns donot like his interference in their affairs.
All Administrative Divisions of Pakistan must be made Provinces.
Nawaz Sharif , for once take a strong and decisive stand against technic politics.
Stop continuously getting trapped by PPP. Punjab will NOT forgive you otherwise .
We should fully support the creation of Hazara and FATA provinces, other regions such as pashtun belt of Northern Balochistan, brahvi areas of balochistan should also be declared new provinces. Sindh should be divided in 5 provinces as it is a big province and highly underdeveloped.
This is a tactics to make the coalition partners fight and lose focus on new provinces of Punjab. Once we get new provinces in Punjab, we can focus on other new provinces, including a Karachi province, Hazarra province and giving the right to the people of Gilgit to vote and a separate province.
Just for the sake of votes Nwaz is pleasing people of Hazara and Fata community. if he will be elected he will change his stance.