It seems that all the problems in Pakistan have been solved. There are no shortages, no poverty, no bad governance. Only one problem is now worthy of the attention of our government: that is to increase the number of provinces in the country and doing that by bifurcating Punjab into four.
Is it the destiny of Punjab to be partitioned again and again? The British cut a vast area of North West Punjab in 1901 inclusive of Hazara, Peshawer and other Punjabi speaking areas for making the North Western Frontier Province.
In 1947, Punjab was partitioned between India and the newly created state of Pakistan resulting in one of the bloodiest massacres of history in which one million people were killed, more than 30 million became displaced and homeless and loss of honour and property was unimaginable.
Then, the Indian Punjab was bifurcated into three units leaving not more than one-third of the land of East Punjab for Punjabis. And now once again the plan to carve out a Seraiki province on the soil of Punjab is getting momentum. Many leaders, including Imran Khan and Altaf Hussain, are supporting this because it will get them some political mileage. The question arises that whether the bifurcation of Punjab will address the grievances (genuine or manipulated) of the areas ignored by Takht-e-Lahore? In my humble opinion, it will not. It will only open a Pandora ’s Box of separatist tendencies.
TARIQ MAHMUD JATALA
Lahore