Through consultation only
With the general elections approaching a clear division has taken place between the major parties on the Seraiki issue. Overcoming earlier hesitation, the PPP has declared full support for a separate province based on the commonalty of history, culture and language. This is what is indicated by Gilani’s speech delivered at Kot Addu, partly in Seraiki. The PML(N), which was initially strongly opposed to the demand for the division of Punjab, is now resigned to the idea of a Seraiki province provided it is created on the basis of administrative needs rather than any other consideration.
The issue of carving out any new province needs to be settled after a realistic appraisal of all aspects of the matter. As the experience of KP would indicate, failure to undertake the necessary homework might give birth to a new problem while resolving an older one. The PML(N) had to pay heavily in terms of political support in Hazara as it failed to realise the importance of a sub-ethnicity in the former NWFP. There are other volatile issues also, like demarcation of the borders, apportionment of the irrigation water, and share of the new entity in the common pool which need to be sorted out to remove any possible irritants. While during early 2011 the PPP was still double-minded on the demand for a separate Bahawalpur province, it now demands one province only comprising the entire South Punjab. In order to weaken the PPP in the region the PML(N) is now willing for the trifurcation of Punjab by lending support to the Bahawalpur province also, again on administrative grounds. All concerned players need to avoid making political capital out of sensitive issues.
The rationale behind the creation of a new province is to remove the outstanding grievances of a region that have a potential to weaken the federation. The matter should be resolved through consensus building rather than divisive and acrimonious debates with the purpose of catching the votes.