New provinces

Among the better proposals included in the PTI’s manifesto in the run-up to last year’s general elections was a commitment to create a separate ‘South Punjab’ province. The need to break up Punjab into more compact units would be beneficial for both the country and the province. As things stand, Punjab controls more than 50 percent of the seats in the National Assembly, allowing it to run roughshod over the rest of the country. This has fractured the federation, with other provinces believing – with some justification – that national policy is made from and for the benefit of Punjab. For Punjab, and its over 110 million people, splitting the province would mean that development and planning for the entire region is not dictated by remote control from Lahore. But the PTI government, despite continuing to pay lip service to creating a South Punjab province, seems in no hurry. It has already allocated the region’s development fund quota for the year, indicating that it does not expect to move on fulfilling its election promise. At least the opposition, in the form of the PML-N, has now taken up the baton, with the party introducing a constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly that would create the South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces.There are serious political challenges that may end up making this bill a non-starter. An amendment to create a new province would require super-majorities in both parliament and the Punjab Assembly. Since a South Punjab province would reduce the power of existing members of the Punjab Assembly who are from other regions, they would be loath to support a constitutional amendment. Some within the PML-N may even end up backing away from the bill.As things stand, the PTI would have a slim majority in a South Punjab province, giving it another chief ministership and an extra seat at the table in the National Finance Commission and other national bodies. The other provinces may have some objections too. Since every province gets an equal number of seats in the Senate, Punjab’s representation in the upper house of parliament would double. Still, it is possible to overcome these problems. A case could be made for creating smaller administrative units in other provinces to maintain parity in the Senate. Ultimately, however, it is the people of southern Punjab whose voice should be heard loudest on this issue.

from The News International - Editorial http://bit.ly/2BdOASR