PPP Questions PM Shehbaz’s Silence on New Provinces

The Pakistan Peoples Party is asking why Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has remained silent as debate over creating new provinces continues. Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, secretary general of the PPP Parliamentarians, said the issue had become too serious for the prime minister to leave without a clear position.

The question comes as the PPP-led Sindh government has secured passage of a provincial assembly resolution opposing any further division of Pakistan’s existing four provinces. At the same time, some ruling-party leaders and federal cabinet members have publicly supported the idea at different forums, including Parliament.

Bokhari said that if the government genuinely wanted to increase the number of provinces, it should first take the matter to the federal cabinet. The prime minister should then consult political parties and other stakeholders, he said. Bokhari pointed to the months of consultation that preceded the 1973 Constitution and the more than a year spent discussing the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

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We want to know what the stance of the prime minister on new provinces is, as no statement is coming from him, whereas a number of federal cabinet members are apparently supporting the plan.

“We want to know what the stance of the prime minister on new provinces is, as no statement is coming from him, whereas a number of federal cabinet members are apparently supporting the plan,” Bokhari told Dawn. “It is a very serious issue which has jolted the existing federating units, but the PM is silent on such an important issue.”

He said the consent of the provinces would be essential for creating new federating units. Any such move would also require a constitutional amendment passed by two-thirds majorities in both the National Assembly and the Senate. The PML-N-led government has a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly with PPP support.

No official proposal has yet confirmed either the number or the boundaries of possible new provinces. Media reports have mentioned plans ranging from eight to as many as 30 provinces. PML-N leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah reiterated on Friday that no bill, resolution or preparations for creating new provinces were currently under way.

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It is a very serious issue which has jolted the existing federating units, but the PM is silent on such an important issue.