Malik, 1

Osama Malik
2018-11-0119
Section: 5
29 October 2014
New Provinces: conflicts or start of a new era?
Provinces are divisions within a state that make administration easier. Provinces can be
created on administrative or ethno-lingual basis. Pakistan is currently divided into four
provinces, namely Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtun Khan (KPK) and Baluchistan. The
neighboring countries such as India has 28 provinces, Afghanistan has 34 provinces, Iran has 31
provinces while China has 22 provinces (CIA). Pakistan is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and
multi-ethnic state, but despite its diversified nature, the country has had four provinces since its
independence in 1947. Recently, the issue of the creation of new provinces in Pakistan has
gained much importance after the 18th amendment in the constitution and the renaming of NWFP
to KPK in 2010. The demands for new provinces mainly include a Seraiki province in South
Punjab, a Hazara province in KPK and a Bahawalpur province. The then coalition government
led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also created a commission for the creation of new provinces,
but it didnt achieve much due to the opposition of Pakistan Muslim League Noon (PML-N).
The demand for new provinces in Pakistan is not new, as it were provinces that created Pakistan
in 1947, as a new state and not vice versa. Even though many believe that the creation of new
provinces would open a Pandora box of conflicts, however, the constitution of Pakistan should

Malik, 2

be amended to provide for the creation of new provinces because it would facilitate better
administration, fair distribution of resources and economic development.
Creation of new provinces would ease the administration as more specialized machinery
would be focused to a smaller region. Pakistan is classified among countries which have poor
administration system and inefficiency. The growing population of Pakistan has stressed upon
the need for the creation of new provinces. A population of almost 190 million people cannot be
accommodated in four provinces. As a result, the provincial administrations are failing to provide
adequate services to the civilians. Pakistan has too few provinces to become a balanced
federation the number of constituent units in a federation does have an important impact upon
its effectiveness and operation (Mahmood 124). More provinces would therefore ensure that
there is not only an equitable distribution of income, but the inflow of migrants towards large,
developed cities like Lahore, Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar is also reduced. Moreover,
developmental planning, implementation, administration and management could be made better.
It is a fact that the administrative units in Pakistan (the 4 provinces besides FATA), are too large
to be managed efficiently. There is a huge disconnect between the rulers and the ruled.... Further,
the impact of steps taken by the government hardly trickles down to the grassroots level. The
participation of locals in development efforts is minimal (Y. Ali). New provinces would also
make it easier for the tax collection authorities to collect the tax. This could lead to an increase
in the tax revenue, hence reducing government budget deficits. In addition creation of new
provinces would also improve the electoral system. Credibility of elections in Pakistan has
always been questioned. New provinces would enable better administration during the elections
and minimize the chances of rigging. New assemblies would be created and larger constituencies
could be split into smaller constituencies resulting in better representation of peoples voice of

Malik, 3

underdeveloped areas. New political parties can emerge in these areas which could work for the
development of the area and improve local administration. Hence, the creation of new provinces
would help managing the internal affairs of the country more efficiently.
Secondly, the creation of new provinces would help fairly distribute the resources among
different regions of Pakistan. The basic economic problem all the countries facing nowadays is
the problem of scarcity. The wants of people are unlimited, but the resources to satisfy those
wants are limited. This concept also applies to the provinces of Pakistan in which each of the
districts wants maximum resources. There are never enough resources to meet all the demands,
so some compromises have to be reached for an equitable distribution of resources. The conflict
arises when provincial governments do not distribute the resources equitably, but priorities the
provincial capitals and areas nearby. It is known from the fact that metropolitan cities of any
province e.g. Lahore get a huge proportion of the funds available while the smaller cities are
ignored. Total budget for Punjab in 2009-10 was PKR490 billion out of which only PKR5
billion was allocated for Saraiki areas (G. Ali et al 34). This disparity in the distribution of
resources and funds is the primary reason behind the demand for new provinces. One of the
major reasons why Bangladesh separated from Pakistan in 1971 was also an unequal distribution
of resources. If new provinces are created, then there is a greater probability that resources are
likely to trickle down more equitably to other areas. Furthermore, there is a higher probability
of the resources being spent in the right place, since the bureaucracy and administration will be
more localized. A person hailing from Seraiki belt if given the charge of resources would be
more aware of the intricacies of the problems in his region than someone hailing from central
Punjab(Ahmad). So, the creation of new provinces would not only help distribute the resources
fairly but also reduce resource based conflicts.

Malik, 4

Creation of new provinces would also increase economic development and Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) by increasing the scope of economic activities in Pakistan. Foreign
investors could be attracted for the developmental projects in the new provinces. Large
multinational companies could open their outlets in cities which were previously ignored due to a
larger province, but now are a part of a new province. Adding new provinces means that a few
more cities would come under the circumference of administration, which would enable
government to create greater job opportunities for its people and eliminate the increasing socioeconomic differences amongst different regions of the country. New provinces would make
administration efficient, ensure that people do not have to travel long distances to get justice, and
give all units [or regions] a stake in the system (Rahman 7). Each new province would have
opportunities for its specific industrial growth and the resources could be more focused. For
example, South Punjab, already famous for its cotton and small scale craft industry, could
differentiate in the area. Tourism in Hazara region could be developed further by focused and
directed spending to increase revenue. Thus new provinces could help develop new industries
while concurrently strengthening the old ones. This would increase the living standards of people
in these areas and hence, improve the overall economy of Pakistan.
The opposing views claim that the constitution of Pakistan should not be amended to
provide for the creation of new provinces as it would increase the costs for the government,
while, the country is already under huge international debt burdens and the budget deficit is
increasing every fiscal year. These costs could involve building of secretariats in the new
provincial capitals, expenditure on the salaries and fringe benefits of the new MPAs,
expenditures of other government buildings, etc. Although it is logical to think about the cost
element, as the creation of new provinces would certainly increase costs, however the additional

Malik, 5

revenue generated by industrial growth and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) would compensate
these costs. There would be many job opportunities for the unemployed in the new provinces,
this would reduce the expenditure on unemployment benefits and increase the tax revenue for the
government as more of the population would be earning. Crime rates, such as theft and
kidnaping due to lack of jobs could be minimized. Small scale industries such as art and craft in
Hazara could also be an important source of income. Not creating new provinces could also give
rise to different problems, such as sit-ins or protests against the government. The four provinces
of Pakistan can no doubt be termed as a hub of conflicts at different levels because of four main
reasons. First, resource based conflicts, and finally, the assertion of sub-provincial identities
demanding a separate provincial status (Ahmar 7). Thus, new provinces should be created as its
benefits overweigh its drawbacks to the society.
Creation of new provinces has always remained a matter of great concern for Pakistan.
New provinces would only be beneficial if they are made on an administrative basis rather than
an ethno-linguistic basis. The government needs to consider the concerns of the people rather
than their political maneuvering and exploitation of voters. New provinces would surely increase
harmony and administrative efficiency. There would be a fair distribution of resources and the
living standards of the people could be improved. If creating several new provinces would
reduce the conflicts and resort law and order, then this is what all the political parties should be
considering seriously. Ultimately, the objective of all politics more provinces or fewer
provinces is to improve the wellbeing of the people. Is there a more worthwhile aim? So,
creation of new provinces in Pakistan is the need of the hour, which would not only improve the
economy but also make the administration easier.
Word Count: 1515

Malik, 6

Work Cited

Ahmad, Fatima. "Economic Impact of the Creation of New Provinces." Pakistan Today. 30 Aug.
2011. Web. <http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/08/30/business/economic-impact-ofthe-creation-of-new-provinces/>.
Ahmar, Moonis. "Conflict Prevention and the New Provincial Map of Pakistan: A Case Study for
Hazara Province." Journal of Political Studies. 20.2 (2013): 1-19. Print.
Ali, Ghulam, Razia Musarrat, and Muhammad Salman Azhar. "Issue of New Provinces in
Pakistan." IUB Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 9.1 (2011): 31-43. Print.
Ali, Yasmeen. "PAKISTAN: More Provinces; Good Or Bad?" Opinion Maker. Jeff, 29 Apr. 2010.
Web. <http://www.opinion-maker.org/2010/04/pakistan-more-provinces-good-or-bad-2/>.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The World Fact Book. Washington, D.C: Potomac. 2013.
Print.
Mahmood, Sohail. "The Need for a New Federal Structure for Pakistan." The Musharraf Regime
and the Governance Crisis: A Case Study of the Government of Pakistan. Huntington,
NY: Nova Science, 2001. 124-126. Print.
Rahman, Tariq. "Linguistics and New Provinces." Dawn 9 July 2009: 7. Print.