The Creation of New Provinces in Pakistan: Implications for an Integrated Country
Creation of new provinces brings several positive as well as negative impacts on the state's health. In Pakistan the creation is however more politicized matter thus blurring the distinct pros and cons of creating new provinces. This further brings questions over the integration of Pakistan with the creation of new provinces as the political parties here lack a unanimous verdict.
Before knowing about the implications of creating new provinces on Pakistan's integration, it's wise to learn about the major movements demanding new provinces in the country. First comes the demand for creation of a new province in the Southern part of the Punjab. This part of the Punjab is dominated by Saraiki speaking people who recognize themselves as a distinct ethnic group. But the demand of this Saraiki Province is not mere on the ethnic grounds. Backwardness and low-development levels in the Southern Punjab leads to the demand of this province. Further, people of Southern Punjab find it difficult to reach the Provincial capital city of Lahore for an administrative task. This demand finds its grip strengthened arguing that most of the budget of the Punjab province is spent on central areas of the province thus depriving them of their due right.
Second important demand comes from the Muhajir Community of Karachi. The community asks for the upgradation of Karachi into a separate province. Karachi is the provincial capital of the Sindh Province. Making it a new province as demanded would be purely ethnic step.
Third is the demand of creating Pashtun Province in Baluchistan. Being the largest area of Pakistan, Baluchistan is the house of Balochs mostly. Some Northern part of this province is dominated by the Pashtuns who want a separate province there.
Fourth demand of creating a new province sought a vociferous voice recently after the name of NWFP was changed into KPK Province. It is the Hazara community of the KPK province that demands for creation of a new Hazara Province in KPK. This demand is also on ethnic basis as the Hazara community distinguishes itself from the Pashtuns of the KPK.
Under the light of the said demands, the implications of creating new provinces on Pakistan's integration can be evaluated in shape of pros and cons of taking such a step. Creating new provinces in Pakistan can integrate the country by infusing a sense of confidence in the minds of Siraiki, Pashtun, Muhajir and Hazarans communities of the country. This can prevent them from taking any drastic steps. Secondly, to demand autonomous administrative provinces is not an unconstitutional thing. They can forward their reservations over the unjust distribution of provincial budgets within various areas of a province. Thus giving them the autonomous provinces can bring them into mainstream national politics.