New provinces: PML-N crafts plan to burst PPP balloon

Party to move two bills in NA calling for three more provinces.

LAHORE:

After being almost checkmated, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) came out with a well calculated move on Monday. The party decided to introduce two bills in the National Assembly to seek creation of three more provinces: two in Punjab and one in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The Senator Farhatullah Babar-led parliamentary commission on new provinces proposed one more administrative unit in Punjab and anointed it “Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab”. The PML-N boycotted the panel’s proceedings, but the ruling PPP and its allies decided to go solo and introduce a bill in Parliament.

The PML-N came out with its ‘bill-for-bill’ strategy at a brainstorming session in Lahore. Attendees included party chief Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

The party will table a bill in the National Assembly calling for two provinces – Bahawalpur and South Punjab – to be carved out of Punjab. It will also introduce another bill seeking creation of a Hazara province in K-P in order to “deflate PPP’s balloon”.

The PML-N claimed that the PPP wants to create another province in Punjab along ethnic and linguistic lines which is detrimental to the country’s solidarity. It also believes that the PPP’s plan would, in fact, benefit its leaders in the Seraiki belt of Punjab.



Step-by-step plan

It was decided in Monday’s meeting that when the PPP tables the bill about proposed “Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab” province, the PML-N will neither oppose nor support it, but will instead attempt to nullify it by introducing two bills of its own.

Participants of the meeting say that the demand for a Hazara province is aimed at gaining political ground in its earlier stronghold in K-P ahead of the next general election.

Interestingly, the ruling coalition is sharply divided on the issue of a Hazara province. While the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid support the demand, the Awami National Party is strongly opposed to it.

Constitutional amendment is required for the creation of new provinces in the country. And an amendment to the Constitution is not possible unless two-thirds of the house approves it. Presently, no one can claim to have the required two-thirds majority in the house.

Province campaign

The PML-N also decided to constitute special committees at the provincial level to oversee the campaign for separate Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces. The committees will prepare banners, distribute pamphlets and other promotional material in keeping with the party stance.

Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif told the meeting that the PML-N would restore Bahawalpur province, and its capital, assembly and governor house will be located in Bahawalpur city. He also expressed his commitment to a South Punjab province.

Chaudhry Nisar said that President Zardari’s decision to constitute the commission is in violation of a Punjab Assembly resolution passed last year. The commission should oversee the restoration of Bahawalpur province and carve out a South Punjab province.

He said that the Punjab Assembly resolution demanded the federal government form a commission but the National Assembly speaker and her deputy formed the commission at Zardari’s behest. Although Zardari, in a reference sent to the NA, called for two new provinces as demanded by the Punjab Assembly, the commission unfortunately proposed only one new administrative unit, which is a violation of the Punjab Assembly resolution, Chaudhry Nisar said.

The PML-N is represented on the parliamentary commission on new provinces by Senator Rafique Rajwana, MNA Saud Majid, Tehmina Daultana and others. But they did not attend any session of the panel till date.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.