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Proposed new provinces for Pakistan, "need of the hour"?

Separate province demanded for Christians in Punjab

KARACHI:
As different ethnic communities make demands for a new province of their own, the Christians have also jumped on to the bandwagon.
Nazir S Bhatti of the Pakistan Christian Congress put up a demand for a separate province for the Christians living in the Punjab.
Bhatti said in a press statement that his community was being victimised. “Religious hatred and extremism is on the rise in Punjab the properties and lives of Christians are not safe anymore.”
Bhatti said the congress has been demanding the formation of a separate province since 1992 and demanded that it should be included in the 20th Amendment draft resolution.
He said that Quaid-e-Azam had called for equal rights for all the religious minorities of the country, but today they were treated as second class citizens.

Separate province demanded for Christians in Punjab – The Express Tribune
 
Now this is too much a province based on Religion -.-

If Muslims can demand a whole country on the basis of religion due to alleged persecution then why can't Christians who are persecuted openly in Pakistan demand a province?
 
If Muslims can demand a whole country on the basis of religion due to alleged persecution then why can't Christians who are persecuted openly in Pakistan demand a province?

How many christians are there ? only 1.6 % pop is christian in full Pakistan , so its not gonna happen get a tehsil or village according to pop size.

Provinces should only be administrative.
 
How many only 1.6 % pop is christian in full Pakistan , so its not gonna happen get a tehsil.

Provinces should only be administrative.

1.6% is a highly downsized number. I can't believe people actually think Christians only make up 1.6% of the population. Just like certain linguistic groups are downsized for political reasons, minority religious groups are downsized as well.
 
Politics of new provinces


Rahimullah Yusufzai ... The writer is resident editor of The News in Peshawar
Tuesday, January 10, 2012


Watching the emotional debate on the creation of new provinces in and outside the parliament, one gets the impression that Pakistan has solved all its problems and its leaders are now free and relaxed to discuss this issue. A matter that could wait and needs to be dispassionately handled has been brought to the fore for narrow political gains. Self-destruction has often been the preferred path of our nation and things could go the same way if the issue was improperly tackled.

We have a prime minister who almost on a daily basis talks about the creation of a Seraiki province because he is Seraiki-speaking and belongs to Multan, the future capital of the proposed province. Yousaf Raza Gilani is the prime minister of Pakistan but he is behaving as if he is the representative of the Seraiki people only. His son Ali Musa Gilani is contesting the Multan by-election for the vacant National Assembly seat, following the resignation of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, he is even more passionately talking about the Seraiki province because it could fetch him some votes and help launch the career of yet another member of the Gilani dynasty.

His eldest son, Abdul Qadir Gilani, who has faced accusations of involvement in the Hajj scam, is already a lawmaker. Prime Minister Gilani’s daughter, Fiza Gilani, has also entered politics and would not have to wait long to get elected on a reserved seat for women in the assembly. His younger brother, Ahmad Mujtaba Gilani, was recently elected member of the Punjab assembly in a by-election. Pakistani politicians unable to build up a political dynasty and run parties like personal fiefdoms are considered a failure and the Gilanis don’t want to be counted among this lot.


In the past, nationalist and progressive Seraiki politicians and intellectuals with marginal support used to plead the case of a new province, but now they have been pushed into the background and the cause has been taken up by high-profile political leaders who see in it an opportunity of a life-time. The Seraiki province may not benefit the common people of southern Punjab the way it is being claimed, but it would certainly create prized new jobs of governor, chief minister, ministers and legislators along with a provincial bureaucracy that would mostly fall into the lap of the rich and the mighty, the moneyed and feudal class as is the case elsewhere in Pakistan. Creation of districts is sometimes a necessity due to administrative reasons and certain new provinces too need to be created for the same reason, but those pushing for smaller districts and provinces should be honest enough to tell the people about the benefits and the costs of such a move.

The need for new provinces has been felt and discussed in the past as well, but the debate didn’t generate hatred even if some point-scoring did take place. This time around certain politicians first made an issue out of a non-issue and then started warning that not creating new provinces could lead to a Balochistan-like situation in the country. Rather than stabilizing Balochistan, which needs the focused attention of all concerned and in particular of the ruling elite, the talk of the emergence of a Balochistan-like situation is irresponsible to say the least.

We could learn from the experience of neighbouring India, which is far bigger with more ethnic and linguistic groups than probably any other country in the world and had inherited an administrative structure similar to that of Pakistan. In the early years after independence, India’s wise democratic leadership took steps to reorganising its states by constituting a commission and this process has continued to this day. Several new states, or provinces, were created, but not in a hurried manner despite the fact that there are numerous political parties in India and many being regional stand to benefit more by advocating new and smaller provinces.

Pakistan’s constitution has shown the way for creating new provinces. The respective provincial assemblies have to adopt a resolution with two-thirds majority to demand creation of a new province and the issue would be then taken up by the National Assembly and the Senate. The two houses of parliament would have to pass the resolution by two-thirds majority for the constitutional amendment allowing creation of a new province. Not many people in positions of power care about Pakistan’s constitution and, therefore, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), went ahead and illegally and unconstitutionally tabled the resolutions for Seraiki and Hazara provinces in the National Assembly. It is possible the MQM got a wink from its ally, the PPP, which stands to gain by putting the opposition PML-N on the defensive and also diminishing its electoral strength in its strongholds of Punjab and Hazara.

The MQM forgot to move a resolution for a separate province comprising the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and has promised to make amends and also demand a “Qabailistan” province. All those wanting their own provinces and this could include the Pashtuns in Balochistan, some people in Malakand division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Potoharis in northern Punjab and the Gilgit-Baltistan population unhappy with their present status should better approach the MQM to promote their cause as it has nothing to lose and perhaps something to gain by moving such inane resolutions in the National Assembly.

For the MQM, it doesn’t really matter that these resolutions or even a bill would be meaningless unless backed by two-thirds majority first in the respective provincial assemblies and then the upper and lower house of parliament. Those seeking narrow political objectives aren’t bothered by such technicalities as that would require painstaking lobbying to achieve consensus among the stakeholders on the issue. If the purpose was to achieve results instead of scoring political points, the issue of creating new provinces would have been raised in the Senator Raza Rabbani-led parliamentary committee that achieved consensus on constitutional amendments and resolved many contentious issues. But the purpose is not to respond to the genuine aspirations of the Seraikis and Hazarawals seeking their own provinces but to settle scores with the PML-N and the ANP.

Isn’t it strange that the MQM and the PPP, the parties that are strongest in Sindh compared to their support in other provinces, want to divide Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to create the Seraiki and Hazara provinces but are against the division of Sindh. The PPP and the Sindhi nationalists would never allow Sindh to be divided, while the MQM won’t mind this to happen eventually even if presently it is opposing creation of a new province comprising urban Sindh. By the same yardstick, most Punjabis and Pakhtuns won’t be pleased if Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were split and truncated. However, it would be wrong to force the Seraikis and Hazarawals to remain part of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against their will. In a democratic Pakistan, the view of the majority should prevail and new provinces ought to be created at the opportune time through constitutional means so that the separation is peaceful and the assets as well as the liabilities are amicably apportioned.

It is obvious that both Seraiki and Hazara provinces are being advocated on ethnic and linguistic basis even if their promoters unconvincingly claim that their move is based on administrative grounds. The Hazara province movement was triggered by the renaming of the NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because its leaders, mostly Muslim Leaguers from the now decimated PML-Q, felt Pakhtunkhwa was parochial as it excluded non-Pakhtuns or didn’t speak Pashto. The ruling ANP could have done a better job for achieving consensus on the new name of NWFP as it alienated the Hindko-speaking population of Hazara and in the end had to unnecessarily prefix Khyber to its preferred name, Pakhtunkhwa, to appease the PML-N.

The Seraiki province could become a reality ahead of other new provinces due to wide consensus on it but this would trigger bitter controversies causing political instability. Pakistan could ill-afford a situation that would divert attention from more pressing challenges such as terrorism, lawlessness, weak economy, energy shortages and unemployment.


Email: rahimyusufzai@yahoo.com

Politics of new provinces - Rahimullah Yusufzai ... The writer is resident editor of The News in Peshawar
==========

At the rate that Gillani and his family is going, a Seraiki province might have a Provincial Assembly with Gillani and his relatives able to form a government all on their own.

They can call themselves:

Pakistan Peoples Party - Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Gillani Bloc
 
I think Baluchistan should be divided because that would probably break their protested concept of Independent Baluchistan.

that wud be axe on your foot. I can say on basis of indian example. if a province has some discrepancy with your thought process, don't mess with it. indians did it to kashmiris by questioning their independence, with the maoists by claiming their lands against their will.

trying to break balochistan will only add misunderstanding and suspicion among the balochis.
 
If Muslims can demand a whole country on the basis of religion due to alleged persecution then why can't Christians who are persecuted openly in Pakistan demand a province?

A Christian Province is not gonna stop the alleged persecution

The part of Punjab that they want to make a Separate province of has all Christian Population?
Is that even possible? or will all Christians be relocated to the new Province and all non Christians will be asked to leave the province?
 
Just for a curiosity, what region in Punjab is Christian orientated? I honestly don't know much about their locations.
 
New Adminitsrative units can be created for better governance, but they should not be based on ethnic divisions. Diveristy should be kept in mind when creating newer units.
 
New provinces are needed in Sindh: Shahbaz Sharif​

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday that new provinces were not only needed in Punjab, but were are also needed in Sindh. He said Karachi should also be made into a small province.

The Punjab Cheif Minister made this comment while talking to the media during his visit to Dera Ghazi Khan.
His statement comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s recent demand for a Seraiki province in the PPP manifesto.
Reactions

ANP and MQM rejected the division of Sindh proposed by CM Punjab saying that this statement is an effort to play down the demands of Seraiki province in Punjab.

Secretary general ANP, Sindh Bashir Jaan said that only Sindhi people have the right to demand the formation of new provinces. He said the Seraiki area has never been part of Punjab and its people have the right to demand a new province. He added that the people of Hazara Division also have the right to demand a new province.

Member of MQM coordination committee in Karachi, Qasim Ali Raza said that the people of Sindh and Karachi have never demanded division of the province. However in Punjab thousands of people are demanding new provinces.
New provinces are needed in Sindh: Shahbaz Sharif – The Express Tribune
The same party pulled the following stunt a while ago, till date you can see these on the walls of Karachi, "Government mein rehnay kay liyay kuch bhee karay ga"
20110712_35.jpg

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
 
New Adminitsrative units can be created for better governance, but they should not be based on ethnic divisions. Diveristy should be kept in mind when creating newer units.
Agreed, Its amazing that for first three years the "siraiki PM" never said a word about siraiki province. This is just a stunt to win the vote bank, However, I think if there is a need then Bahawalpur deserves to be the new province since 1)it has the necessary infrastrure 2)It has been a province in past. The popluarity of "siraiki PM" within Multan was revealed a while ago when he failed to win support for his son Mosa Gilani from the prominent personailities in the constituency vancated by Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Shaikh Rasheed has correctly said, "Dargahon ka maal khanay walay kabi achay hukmran nahi ban saktay"
 
Those Mahajir Sooba messages were not written by MQM or on orders of MQM. It's what the people seem to want
 
good provinces without good leaders is equal to multiplying the bad things..
 

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