New provinces

Need more than political sloganeering

As the term of the incumbent government is drawing near to its end, there is a flurry visible in the activities of the political parties. Some have started organising jalsas and rallies, a trend re-established by the PTI after its Lahore jalsa October last year, while others have started different initiatives to lure in the public, like the creation of new provinces. While arguments for and against the idea can be presented, these arguments are largely beside the point and the issue has merely provided a platform to the political parties to flex their muscle and gain popularity in their respective areas of dominance.

How different parties perceive the issue and take a position on it is instructive about what is their vote bank and which demographic they are targeting with their rhetoric. MQM is, for example, not against new provinces in Punjab but is vehemently opposed to the same in the province of Sindh. PML(N), on its part, has wavered on the issue from outright rejection to acceptance with certain conditions. The recent statement of its chief Mian Nawaz Sharif that he won’t allow the bifurcation of Sindh while he has no objection on the bifurcation of Punjab is certainly a fodder for thought and most certainly an invitation for criticism. Consistent with his style, he has once again jumped on a bandwagon he most probably will have to jump off under pressure from his party and his vote bank. A great gesture in terms of strengthening the federation but perhaps the purpose could have been served better if the focus would have been to strengthen the federating unit instead of the federation itself because only strong federating units can make a strong federation.

By playing this tricky shot, he might be able to get a foothold in Sindh where his party has a negligible presence but if it backfires (which most probably it will), he is going to face tough questions from his traditional vote bank i.e. Punjab. In any case, the creation of new provinces is a subject that needs more than just political sloganeering. It has to follow a constitutional procedure that is nearly impossible to implement given the present scheme of things with respect to political clout and numbers in the parliament. No party would allow the other to take an initiative that weakens its position before its own vote bank.