Pak Studies

New Provinces
Is there need of new provinces?
Advantages of New Provinces
 Efficient distribution of revenue
 Smaller provinces Focused Governments
 More provinces means more diverse set of policies
 identity of the people
 Efficient Administration
 Indirect and direct tax collection
 Health Care
 Education System
 Accountable Governments
Disadvantages
 Disputes over boundaries
 More provinces will lead to more demands
 Divide of natural resources
 Funds Problem
 New Assemblies
Case of South Punjab
 South Punjab 48.5 % of Total Area of Punjab
 31.57 % of population
 3 Divisions and 11 Districts
 43.11 % people live below poverty line compared to 27.69 %
 South Punjab has an agrarian economy and lacks Central

Punjab’s industrial and urban development.

 Largely controlled by big landlords who have their ancestral

seats in the parliament.

Case of Bahawal Pur
 Largest state joined Pakistan on April 30, 1951 ws
given status of province
 The provincial status of Bahawalpur ended with the

formation of “One Unit.”

 Its merger with Punjab led to widespread protests.

The movement for restoration of Bahawalpur Province

was started but with the passage of time it lost its
momentum, though not the people’s sense of lack of
political representation and economic deprivation.
FATA
 The Federally Administered Tribal Areas was a semi-
autonomous tribal region in northwestern Pakistan that
existed from 1947 until being merged with neighbouring
province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. It consisted
of seven tribal agencies (districts) and six frontier regions,
and were directly governed by Pakistan's federal
government through a special set of laws called
the Frontier Crimes Regulations. 
 On 24 May 2018, the National Assembly of Pakistan voted

in favour of an amendment to the Constitution of

Pakistan for the FATA-KP merger 
Case of Hazara
 Renaming of NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the 18th
Amendment triggered violent protests in Hazara Division
demanding a separate Hazara province.
 Hazara Division consists of six districts: Haripur,

Abbotabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan and, Torgrah.

 Hazara demand a separate division for themselves named

as “Abaseen.”
Prospects and Challenges
 Amendment of Constitutional Provisions
 Conflicts on Distribution of Resources
 Economic Implications
 Rise of Ethnic and Linguistic Identities
Solution
 The decision to create new provinces cannot be taken in
haste; there is need to make a national commission, to
develop studies, to achieve agreement on distribution of
resources and most importantly to consider the aspirations
of the people of the area who will constitute the new
province. Holding of referendum will be the best option to
know their opinion. The earlier mistake of renaming of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without consulting the people of
Hazara has to be avoided this time. The ultimate objective
should be the strengthening of the federation.