The province debate Huzaima Bukhari & Dr Ikramul Haq There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands. – Plato An ongoing debate about creating further provinces is in progress in the country, with those talking in favour of more provinces being accused of dividing (read disintegrating) the country. The fact is that these debates are more politically motivated rather than being pragmatic in nature. This is mainly because those in power, in order to perpetuate their hold, keep oscillating between the two conflicting stances without appreciating the root of the actual issue. A federation is a group of states that have a central government for the purpose of cohesion, yet retain autonomy in their internal affairs. In other words, the centre is like a mother who manages things in such a way that none of her children remain neglected. The provinces are obliged to govern people within their territories efficiently and judiciously meaning thereby that they must fulfil their obligations with respect to good administration. Of course, a number of things count, including availability of economic resources in proportion to the population, which if large would have greater needs compared to a less populated province. There is a natural tendency in human beings to live in clusters that share common language, culture and such other unifying factors although modern societies are rapidly becoming heterogeneous. Nonetheless, with the passage of time, these groups may be found far from the areas they may have originally inhabited. Such sociological changes, mainly on account of economical, political or environmental factors do keep occurring in the world. Modern-day demands are changing from mere rudimentary living to a hi-tech lifestyle that requires a highly efficient delivery system, in the absence of which all forms of progress become meaningless. From simple traffic rules to intensely complicated regulatory authorities, there is a dire need to bring about competent, quick and easy solutions so that the public can reap the benefits of contemporary living. In order to make this a reality, a quality administrative system has to be in place – a system that has the capacity to deliver at the grassroots level without the public being disturbed or made to undergo cumbersome procedures for minor issues. The ongoing debate about new provinces correctly reflects the aspirations of those people who want to be able to exert the power of self-rule. Their desire for autonomy springs from the inability of the present ruling forces to govern, cater to their everyday needs, protect their lives and property, and guarantee a peaceful future for them and their coming generations through development schemes. In short, the system of governance as it exists today, has miserably failed to fulfil people’s expectations. In such a bleak scenario, where the distribution of population all over the country has become extremely lopsided with smaller territories becoming densely populated and larger ones having scattered inhabitants, it is time to re-address this issue and view the entire matter with an open mind. The end objective of achieving peace and prosperity should not be sacrificed on the altar of whimsical and short-sighted political scoring. Rather, a serious dialogue between representatives of all ethnic groups should ensue leaving aside petty differences. On the one hand, the country’s constitution upholds sovereignty of Allah and acknowledges the fact that all land belongs to Him and on the other, the same land becomes a source of intrigue, hatred and individual/ethnic ownership. People automatically tend to huddle in crowds similar to their own culture and language no matter what their religious following maybe. Thus Punjabis (whether Muslim, Sikh or Hindu) find themselves more comfortable living together compared to living in a mixed or diverse society. Not that this is a universal fact because many cosmopolitan societies boast of people co-existing in a congenial manner. Examples are metropolis of New York and Dubai where in addition to diverse cultural backgrounds there are differences of nationalities, yet one never gets to hear of conflicts on the basis of faith, language or ethnicity. Why this is so, should be food for thought for those who are desperately arguing for and against formation of new provinces. The main unifying factor that can be deciphered from New York and Dubai type societies is the enforcement of rule of law. Every person has the freedom to dream of a better life and the governments provide these people the support to pursue those dreams instead of hurling bureaucratic obstacles in their way. These may not be ideal heavenly abodes in many ways but a comparative study with our own country would reveal that in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, being a Muslim and sharing the same Islamic culture is not a sufficient unifying factor even though the popular concept is that the country came into existence in the name of Islam. The early years of Pakistan’s creation were very different – with the local population opening its arms to greet the hapless coming from India and generously partaking in whatever little it had. However, with the passage of time vested interests began sowing the seeds of hatred and discrimination on the basis of culture and language. The negative forces in control tore apart whatever was left of the fabric of unity bringing matters to an extent that till today the ‘immigrants’ and the locals each mock the other’s way of life, falling back in a sense of pride for their own heritage; one bemoaning its lost homeland while the other rendered insecure at losing its own at the hands of ‘aliens’ or settlers. Such has been the tumultuous political history of Pakistan with no headway having been made in unifying the peoples of this land aimed at giving them a sense of owning it as their home which they are required to beautify and improve in a way that everyone can live in peace and comfort. On the contrary, despite the fact that the original immigrants may have given birth to at least two generations in Pakistan, the very premise of Pakistan’s creation is being raised as an important ideological question with the subsequent generations still being marginalised. Under these circumstances and in the wake of so much mistrust, suspicion and chaotic political conditions, debates about new provinces are tantamount to catalysts in fuelling the already volatile situation. The need for new administrative structures cannot be under-stated. These can be done within the existing provincial frameworks for better governance – the basis can be population. As regards new provinces the constitution provides the procedure and that has to be followed. Therefore, in the best interest of the country, this very important issue should be dealt with the seriousness that it actually deserves. Before taking any decision thorough debate, an examination of every aspect must be done and decisions be taken by public consensus through elected representatives. The writers, tax lawyers, are visitingprofessors at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). Email: info@huzaimaikram
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 06:59:04 +0000
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