Do you support the division of Pakistan into smaller Provinces?

[Intoxication]

Seraikistan will not weaken the federation



While it may seem that the PPP-led government has failed to deliver to the masses, it has definitely added some feathers in its cap by extending autonomy to provinces through the NFC Award, by abolishing concurrent lists, and through the passing of the 18th and 19th constitutional amendments.

In addition to this, it has provided the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan with identities, and given representation to religious minorities in the Senate. Indeed, PPP is one of the few parties in the country which strongly believes in provincial autonomy that is directly proportional to strengthening the federation.

However, whenever there are voices raised in favour of the formation of new provinces, believers of ‘federalism’ promptly stand up against the proposed ideas with their stale and hackneyed arguments and notions. There is an uproar over this issue, particularly over the formation of Seraikistan since it will create a line on Punjab’s map, bifurcating south and north Punjab. This subject has become food for thought for bloggers, columnists and many others.

Even though the proposal of the Seraikistan province has received a great deal of negativity, President Asif Ali Zardari has now promised the Seraiki people a separate province. However, the federalists and rightists – believers of the status quo and no change — have their own misconceived and pre-meditated notions about the formation of new provinces. They believe that if a few more lines are sketched on Pakistan’s map, it will weaken the centre thus ultimately lead to the federation breaking up.

Nothing is wrong with the formation of Seraikistan, Hazara or any other new province that is created for the purpose of easing administrative affairs. History is replete with examples where countries have created new administrative units; India has increased the number of its provinces to 28 since 1947.

The population of Pakistan has augmented many folds since 1947, thus a demand for new provinces is a genuine one. Besides, the demand by people of southern Punjab is not something unconstitutional; it is not something that might cause harm to national integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan. It is purely democratic and our constitution even has a provision for this. Article 239 (4) of the constitution reads:

A bill to amend the Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a Province shall not be presented to the President for assent unless it has been passed by the Provincial Assembly of that Province by the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.

Moreover, the movement for Seraikistan has been peaceful and non-violent. Though the region touches borders with all four provinces, including the troubled Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the movement has so far not witnessed any non-democratic action.

If Punjab is to prevent itself from secessionist and nationalist movements – there are many such movements going on in Sindh and Balochistan – then the creation of Seraikistan is a must. The new province would, in the long term, be in favour of Punjab. I say this because the reservation of the nationalists of smaller provinces concerning Punjab taking the lion’s share in government’s resources, job quotas and so on will be wiped away once it is equal in population to other smaller provinces.

However, new provinces should definitely not be formed on the basis of language or ethnicity since this would create a further ethnic divide amongst the communities.

There are a few detractors who believe that like Punjab, Sindh should also be divided into two provinces. However, they should understand that the cases of Sindh and Seraikistan are totally different from each other. Firstly, there is no visible demand or movement by the people of Karachi or the MQM for such a cause.

There have been allegations about Jinnahpur, but these have been categorically denied many times. Secondly, there are reservations amongst the people of interior Sindh, especially Sindhi nationalists, about a Karachi-based ethnic party, but they have never made a demand for separating Karachi from the rest of the Sindh.

Thirdly, Seraiki people in Punjab are demanding a separate province because Southern Punjab has been lagging behind in the development sector. They allege that much of the development funds are being spent in Lahore or in the northern Punjab. Karachi, on the other hand, is not only the most developed metropolitan city of the country, but it ranks amongst the top developed cities in the developing world! Hence, the Urdu speaking population of Pakistan has no reason to have any reservations.

To save ink, creating new provinces should not be compared with the weakening of the federation. New provinces created on administrative basis, rather than linguistic or ethnic ones would, in fact, further strengthen our national integrity. This would also create harmony and enhance provincial autonomy.

Therefore, the formation of Seraikistan cannot be ignored; it will come sooner or later.

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/11...he-federation/

[brightside.]

Not only should there be a Siraiki province, but Karachi should also be separated from Sindh. This city will grow by leaps and bounds once it is freed from the control of feudal Sindhis hellbent on stifling development in this city if it doesn't align with their own interests.

On the other hand, FATA should be merged into KPK.

[Intoxication]

South Punjab: larger in size, less in population

Boundaries of the proposed Seraiki/South Punjab Province:


LAHORE – The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is all-out for the creation of another province in southern Punjab whose territorial stretch will be more than 52 per cent of the total area of the province with 32 per cent population, which is far less than that of the rest of Punjab.

The PPP says the new province will comprise 22 districts of the Punjab that exceeds the territorial limit of the rest of the province, however with much less population.

The official statistics of 2010 count Punjab’s population at 93 million, 32 per cent of which lives in south Punjab. In this way, the proposed province will have a population higher than that of Balochistan; although it rubs shoulders with this largest area-wise province of the country in backwardness and shortage of facilities. The ratio of urban population in south Punjab is markedly thin than that of the rest of Punjab and migrated and settlers, who principally are agriculturalists, constitutes a huge number of it.

Naveed says the Janoobi Punjab province will comprise three divisions - Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan - which represent 22 districts of a total of districts in Punjab.

On the capital of the new province, he said the party had yet to reflect on this matter and a final decision would be taken keeping in view aspirations of the majority. Either Multan or Bahawalpur would be the capital of the new province, he added.

The new province would spread from Sahiwal to Sadiqabad with expected capital either in Multan or Bahawalpur.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...-in-population

[smfarazm..]

Goodbye Elections.

[yasirniazkhan]

http://www.aaj.tv/2012/05/punjab-ass...b-resolutions/

By: Farrukh Shabbir, Uploaded: 9th May 2012 (1 hour ago)

The Punjab Assembly presented a scene of loud slogan bashing from PML-N members for the Prime Minister and support from PPP members for their PM.

After the ministers were done shouting Go Gilani and Pro Gilani slogans at the same time; the Punjab Assembly finally came to a resolve and unanimously adopted the Bhawalpur and South Punjab resolution, today. Aaj News reported.

The resolution, moved forward by Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah, demanded that Bhawalpur should be given back its status of a province and a border should be drawn in Punjab and South Punjab should be declared a seperate province.

The three parties, PML-N, PML-Q and PPP had already decided to approve the resolution during their meetings, earlier.

PML-Q and PPP were routing for making South Punjab a separate province while PML-N was routing for the restoration of Bhawalpur province.

On the other hand, Imran Khan is staging rallies and protests in support of the Judiciary whereas, MQM play a role of silent spectator, as PML-Q, PML-N and PPP pass swift resolutions to weaken each other’s political strongholds.

============================================

wow wow wow

[khalid-don]

All unite to divide Punjab
By: Mubashir Hassan

LAHORE - In a historic development and contrary to speculations of a discord, consensus emerged in Punjab Assembly on Wednesday to divide country’s biggest province Punjab into more provinces.

Amid slogans of Takht-e-Lahore Alwida (Good bye to the throne of Lahore) the house unanimously passed two separate resolutions seeking division of Punjab by carving two more provinces out of it: Janoobi Punjab and Bahawalpur. The slogans came from the opposition members who also raised the slogans Takht-e-Lahore Thah and Jati Umra Al-Vida.

The resolutions called upon the federal government to constitute a national commission without delay to settle the constitutional, legal and administrative issues pertaining to the division.

Pakistan Peoples Party and PML-Q, which had been opposing provincial status for Bahawalpur Division, this time refrained from voting against the resolution demanding restoration of the previous status of the state. Until a day before, both clamoured for the creation of only one province comprising south Punjab areas including Bahawalpur Division.

The situation, however, changed overnight when the PML-N – which earlier covertly opposed the Punjab division – came up with these two resolutions promising two new provinces.

The opposition was left with no choice but to support the resolution on Bahawalpur, perhaps fearing its political backlash in the coming elections. In a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee held in speaker’s chamber before start of Wednesday’s session, opposition agreed not to oppose the resolution on Bahawalpur in view of the fact that PML-N was now not only supporting the creation of “Janoobi Punjab” but one of its minister was also ready to move a resolution in this regard.

As agreed in that meeting, Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal suspended the Rules of Procedure of the assembly to allow Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to move the two resolutions one after the other. But there appeared some deadlock over the issue when law minister read out the resolution on Bahawalpur and the speaker put the question to elicit opinion of the house. Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz, PPP Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shaukat Basra, PML-Q Parliamentary Leader Ch Zaheeruddin Ahmad and some other opposition members approached the law minister and complained about something which he apparently did not adhere to.

Journalists sitting in the Press Gallery kept guessing about what was going on till Raja Riaz informed the house that Rana had violated an understanding reached in the Business Advisory Committee meeting that all parliamentary leaders representing their respective parties would also read out the resolutions one by one. Secretary Assembly Maqsood Malik was also consulted for legal opinion who opined that parliamentary leaders could read out the resolutions but after the voting because assembly rules don’t allow repetition of the resolutions. All agreed to follow the advice and the proceeding resumed.

The resolution on Janoobi Punjab read: “This representative house of provincial assembly calls upon the federal government to create the province of ‘Janoobi Punjab’ and to materialise this objective, a national commission be set up forthwith to settle all the key issues relating to creation of new provinces like fair distribution of water and other resources, demarcation of new boundaries and to settle all the constitutional, legal and administrative matters to complete the process of formation of new provinces without any delay”.

The resolution on Bahawalpur province read: “This house is of the considered opinion that people of Bahawalpur, who had been struggling since long for the restoration of previous status of the Bahawalpur; and whose demand relates only to restoration of their previous province and not that of making a new one; and which is based on administrative, geographical historic constitutional and political facts. Therefore, keeping in view all these facts, the house is of the opinion that previous province of Bahawalpur should be restored without any delay. The house demands that a national commission be set up forthwith to settle all the key issues relating to creation of new provinces like fair distribution of water and other resources, demarcation of new boundaries and to settle all the constitutional, legal and administrative matters to complete the process of formation of new provinces without any delay”.

After passage of the resolutions, the speaker prorogued the session without taking up actual agenda of the day which was set aside by the chair after seeking consent of the house.

It was like a ‘win-win’ situation for all political parties. If the legislators belonging to the opposition saw victory in adoption of the resolutions, the treasury members also seemed happy for attaching the ‘tag’ of Bahawalpur province with that of ‘Janoobi Punjab’.

Interestingly, some opposition members did not seem happy with their leadership for conceding to PML-N’s suggestion of formation of a national commission to take up the issue of new provinces. They citied the national assembly resolution on this subject that did not mention any such commission. After the session was over, assembly members belonging to south Punjab celebrated the passage of resolutions in favour of two provinces in their region. They were seen congratulating each other.


http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...-divide-punjab

[khalid-don]

the above news should rather be read as all unite to loot Punjab resources. I am not against divide but the way they did it tell their intension.

[smfarazm..]

As expected! More Filth.

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

PA gives nod to trifurcate Punjab

* Provincial assembly unanimously passes two resolutions for creation of Southern Punjab and restoration of Bahawalpur province

* Asks federal government to immediately constitute national commission in this regard

The Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed separate resolutions in favour of two new provinces – ‘Southern Punjab’ and ‘Bahawalpur’ – to be carved out of the southern areas of the current Punjab, resulting in trifurcation of the province.

Though the ruling party in the province, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), tried to get some political mileage on the issue after presenting the resolutions independently, the opposition, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), foiled the move.

Resultantly, both the treasury and opposition benches reached a consensus to table both resolutions in the House jointly and decided that the parliamentary leaders of every party in the assembly will move the resolutions one after the other and the presentation of both resolutions would be considered mutual.

Following the decision, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, opposition leader Raja Riaz, parliamentary leader of the PML-Q Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, parliamentary leader of PML-Functional (PML-F) Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood and parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Ali Noor Niazi moved the resolutions one by one.

Consequently, 201 parliamentarians in the House at the time voted in favour of the resolutions. The assembly adopted the first resolution on Bahawalpur province, which stated that the people of Bahawalpur were struggling for restoration of their province and it was not a new demand but based on administrative, geographical, historical, constitutional and political facts, so on these grounds, former province of Bahawalpur should be restored without any delay.

The resolution also stated that the House wanted restoration of this province immediately, and it also demanded that the federal government constitute a national commission to decide all basic matters such as demarcation of the new province, its administrative, constitutional and legal matters and distribution of resources, and the proposed commission should complete its work on the new province as soon as possible.

Next, the House adopted the second resolution regarding ‘Southern Punjab’ province, which stated that the ‘Southern Punjab’ province be made immediately, and also that the federal government constitute a national commission to decide all basic matters such as demarcation of the new province, its administrative, constitutional and legal matters and 0distribution of resources, and it (proposed commission) should complete its work on the new province earliest.

Earlier, PPP’s newly elected member of the provincial assembly from Multan, Usman Bhatti, and returning candidate on a reserved seat for women, Shamaila Rana of the PML-N, took their oaths. When Shamaila Rana was taking oath, opposition members chanted slogans against her, calling her “chor” and “dakoo”. They shouted “shame shame” against her and also waved their ATM cards in front of her, referring to the reason of her resignation in August 2009 – alleged misuse of ATM cards of her two colleagues after stealing them. In response, PML-N legislators raised slogans of “Go Zardari Go!” and “Go Gilani Go!”, turning the House into a fish market.

PPP members, especially Sajida Mir, Shaukat Basra, Hasan Murtaza and Nargis Faiz Malik, chanted of “alwida, alwida – Jati Umrah alwida”, “Takht-e-Lahore thaa” and “dooji waari fare Zardari” (Zardari for the second time).

Later, the speaker adjourned the session for an indefinite period. After the session, some lawmakers from southern Punjab raised slogans in favour of two more provinces comprising Thal and Potohar.

[brightside.]

Originally Posted by smfarazm..

As expected! More Filth.

Why would India be happy if Azad Kashmir is made into a Pakistani province, instead of a separately administered zone but under the Pakistani flag?

[Rekarte]

I don't like geographical name like "South Punjab"
Saraikistan is better

[matricresult]

Originally Posted by swerveut

please delete

Please do this

[united pakistan]

I think Azad Kashmir should be our province rather then a state within state.
But i don't know why people says it will damage the "Kashmir cause" any idea guys?

[OmI92]

[A-TOWN BOY]

i'm against the creation of karachi as a separate province. if it does happen, all the money will flow into the hands of MQM. not to forget their policies against the people coming to karachi for a living.

[khalid-don]

Originally Posted by A-TOWN BOY

i'm against the creation of karachi as a separate province. if it does happen, all the money will flow into the hands of MQM. not to forget their policies against the people coming to karachi for a living.

++1

[fadi rulzzzz]

Originally Posted by A-TOWN BOY

i'm against the creation of karachi as a separate province. if it does happen, all the money will flow into the hands of MQM. not to forget their policies against the people coming to karachi for a living.

nothing to do with politics

but this is the main reason for not dividing Sindh on any basis,

(political leader stance on division of sindh in a rally) Punjab k 100 tukray krdo, lakin hum sind k tukray nahi hone dege

"Akhir kar Karachi sonay ki chirya jo theri,"

ek k hath ku lagay, sb mil k lootoo

[A-TOWN BOY]

Originally Posted by fadi rulzzzz

nothing to do with politics

but this is the main reason for not dividing Sindh on any basis,

(political leader stance on division of sindh in a rally) Punjab k 100 tukray krdo, lakin hum sind k tukray nahi hone dege

"Akhir kar Karachi sonay ki chirya jo theri,"

ek k hath ku lagay, sb mil k lootoo

oh bhaiyya sub mil ke looto ki baat nahi hai. agar koi baat hai toh yehi keh karachi par sub ka haq hai. kyunki karachi ki dolat poore mulk se aati hai. sirf sindhi, pathan, ya muhajiron ka nahi balke sub ka. agar karachi alag sooba bana toh sub ko pata hai ke MQM ney jeet jana hai aur phir uss waqt MQM ki badmashi aaj se 10 guna barh jaaye gi. rahi baat baaqi suboon ke taqseem ki toh haan unn ko taqseem hona chahiye. aur agar sindh to taqseem karna hee hai toh do barabar hison main karna chahiye. yeh kya baat huwi keh sirf karachi aik alag sooba??

[fadi rulzzzz]

again nothing to do with politics & political party

bs baat se baat nikal rahi hai, clear kr raha ho

Originally Posted by A-TOWN BOY

karachi ki dolat poore mulk se aati hai.

ap ghalat ho. karachi se poore mulk ko dolat milti hai

sirf sindhi, pathan, ya muhajiron ka nahi balke sub ka.

Tu khyber Pakhtunkhawa naam ku rakha, os pe kisi aur ka haq nahi hai kya???

agar karachi alag sooba bana toh sub ko pata hai ke MQM ney jeet jana hai

karachi alag sooba nahi bn raha aur bi cities hai jo mil kr sooba bana ne ki baat ho rahi hai,ap kehte ho k MQM ki koi political presence nahi hai, phr ap ye bhi kehte ho k MQM jeet jaye gi, kya ye khula tazzad nahi hai

aur phir uss waqt MQM ki badmashi aaj se 10 guna barh jaaye gi.

aur suppose k MQM ko sooba mil jata hai, tu Wo waha pe badmashi ku dikahye gi ???? aur kis pe ????

[A-TOWN BOY]

Originally Posted by fadi rulzzzz

ap ghalat ho. karachi se poore mulk ko dolat milti hai

oh bhai sahab, karachi ka port peshab pe nahi chalta. poore mulk se jo aata hai wahan par export ke liye jaata hai. of course jab kuch aaye ga toh kuch wapis jayega bhi.

Originally Posted by fadi rulzzzz

Tu khyber Pakhtunkhawa naam ku rakha, os pe kisi aur ka haq nahi hai kya???

main khyber pakhtunkhwa se hoon aur main pathan nahi hoon. haan naam ghalat rakha gaya lekin uss se kisi ko nuqsaan nahi pohancha. toh phir iss baat ka issue banane ki zarurat nahi

Originally Posted by fadi rulzzzz

karachi alag sooba nahi bn raha aur bi cities hai jo mil kr sooba bana ne ki baat ho rahi hai,ap kehte ho k MQM ki koi political presence nahi hai, phr ap ye bhi kehte ho k MQM jeet jaye gi, kya ye khula tazzad nahi hai

haan agar aur bhi cities mila kar bann rahi hain toh acha hai. lekin sirf karachi aur hyderabad ka sooba nahi banna chahiye. aur maine kabhi yeh nahi kaha keh MQM ki political presence nahi hai. zara aankhen khol kar sahi se parh lijiye meri post. balke unnki bohat strong presence hai karachi aur hyderabad main.

Originally Posted by fadi rulzzzz

aur suppose k MQM ko sooba mil jata hai, tu Wo waha pe badmashi ku dikahye gi ???? aur kis pe ????

abhi kis par dikha rahe hain? yaar aap kis dunya main rehte ho. sab logon par dikha rahe hain. lekin abhi competition hai PPP aur ANP ka iss liye itni nahi dikha sakte. agar alag sooba bana toh aaj se kahi guna ziyada target killings aur bhatta khori hogi. yeh toh sub ko pata hai.