Senate deputy chairman suggests 9 new provinces be formed

Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Mohammad Afridi has suggested the formation of nine new provinces, one of which includes Karachi.

Afridi made the recommendation in an interview on Dawn News’ programme ‘Doosra Rukh’, which will be aired at 7pm today. Afridi, who is himself from the tribal districts, was elected to the Senate as an independent candidate in 2018.

He advocated for making Karachi, the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and the Hazara district provinces of their own as well as Punjab and Balochistan being divided into three provinces each.

The Senate deputy chairman said: “Look at Balochistan, how vast its area is. There should be three provinces formed in Balochistan as well as three separate ones in Punjab.”

He urged for Karachi to be made an entirely separate province, adding that: “Fata should be made a separate province and one province should also be formed for Hazara.”

Afridi further said the more provinces Pakistan has, the better it will be.

When asked about the objections raised by the PPP when the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan demands the same for Karachi, Afridi said: “The 18th Amendment was made [and] NFC (National Finance Commission) award was done, right? When [new] provinces will be formed, the NFC award will be shared in the same way.”

He went on to explain that if the said provinces are formed, they will continue receiving their share of the fiscal budget under the NFC award.

At one point during the interview, when asked if the decision of merging Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was made in haste, Afridi responded: “We should have obtained a commitment on the promises [made].”

The Senate deputy chairman lamented that the government did not fulfil its promises made to the erstwhile Fata and that its people face many difficulties even today.

He said he had taken up the matter of funds with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as well and insisted that the problems facing the country will be solved if new provinces are constituted.

Afridi’s statements come months after the matter of forming new provinces resurfaced when in March, PML-N senators moved two bills, seeking the creation of South Punjab and Hazara provinces.

The bill seeking the creation of the south Punjab province had been tabled by PML-N Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hassan as a private member’s bill while the one for Hazara had been moved by PML-N Senator Pir Sabir Shah.

The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice was set to take up the two controversial constitutional amendment bills.

Separately, former prime minister and PPP Vice-Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani said last month that consultations will be held with all political parties in the country to present the bill for the creation of a Seraiki province in the assembly soon.