Unlearnt lessons of history

Pakistan's current hybrid government appears preoccupied with restructuring the nation's provincial framework and increasing administrative divisions. This initiative, presented by its proponents as a solution to governance issues, is being advanced without substantial parliamentary deliberation, a characteristic the article notes of the current legislature.

The piece argues that these proposed sweeping changes disregard critical lessons from Pakistan's tumultuous history. The country has cycled through various governance models, including parliamentary, presidential, and military rule, alongside the current hybrid system where the military holds dominant influence. Each shift, however, has only exacerbated political instability, with parliamentary democracy being the sole system to garner broad legitimacy, despite never fully achieving parliamentary supremacy.

Central to Pakistan's historical challenges has been the status and rights of its provinces within the federal system. The article highlights that provincial boundaries often align with ethnic compositions, necessitating a federalism that ensures inclusivity. Smaller provinces have long voiced resentment over Punjab's political dominance, demanding greater autonomy and fairer resource distribution.

Periods of unrepresentative rule have fueled alienation in smaller provinces, leading to marginalization, suppression of regional identities, and a concentration of power at the center. The historical example of the "One Unit" policy in the 1950s, which merged West Pakistan's provinces to counter East Pakistan's majority, is cited as a politically motivated project that imposed a unitary system and undermined federalism.