More Provinces; more job opportunities, good governance, effective implementation of policies, less chances of corruption and monopoly on natural resources

With the emergence of 18^th amendment in the Constitution, many dormant issues like creation of more Provinces propped up which is also a healthy sign for the real democracy. At present, the administrative units are too large to be controlled in effective manner and that is why many issues like law and order, corruption and political despondency have come to the surface in the intensified forms.

When the number of Divisions and Districts are increased periodically keeping view the flood of population in the similar manner if the number of Provinces is increased would also be a positive sign for the general population.

Before independence, Quaid-e-Azam was a strong supporter of the Provincialism but after independence, his idea was not properly honoured which even went to the breakage of Pakistan.

More Provinces does not mean that Federation would be weak but it would cement the concept of more strong Federation. When the people are properly given power on the utilization of their available natural and human resources then it would proportionately enhance the confidence of the Federation. The mystery of real participatory government lies in the creation of more Provinces, Divisions, Districts, Tehsils etc. It would accommodate the herds of unemployed youth not only in the Government Offices but also in private institutions according their qualifications and talents.

In the beginning there was only Peshawar University in the Province of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, later on other Universities were also established. Similarly, there was one Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education but now are several Boards. The primary aim was to give easy access to these institutions. They are functioning well and there are no financial shortfalls. Each institution is developing by leaps and bounds and finds more ways and means for their progress. The myth of non-sustainability in the minds of the big bosses is ill-founded because when you give responsibility to a nation, area or people then they would unite sweat and blood for the progress. This perception was also existed for Pakistan in the minds of the Hindus and those who were against it but time proved that it became an atomic power although its people have yet to progress in many other areas.

The real trouble is experienced at by those who are called “COMMON MEN”. The upper classes have no trouble in any office or institution of the Government up to the Federal Government. Their one phone is panacea for all their problems.

A problem has two facets, one legal and other political. If legally the sitting Governments failed to create more Provinces then politically, movements like prevailing ones would create such Provinces after bitter repercussions. When the present Government claims that it does every with consensus then with consensus should create more Provinces which primarily would be administrative units.

Some people think that our political forefathers were farsighted and full of wisdom but I do not agree with this proposition because what they did was the result of the blood sacrifice of the people. If Pakistan was liberated, neither Army nor the Civil bureaucracy had any contribution in it but was the result of common man at the gross root level who organised themselves and started a struggle which resulted in deaths of many but at last Pakistan was carved out.

Then Constitution was a dilemma for them and they failed to have a Constitution for their Country despite passing several years. If the political forefathers had any farsightedness in them they would have never succumbed to the taking over of the Military Dictators. In my opinion, they were not ready to have Constitution because they were not ready to face the people in the election under the new Constitution because they had lost the confidence of the people.

The Martial Law of 1958, was a blessing in disguise for many sprouting politicians like late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto etc. who got together under the umbrella of Ayub Khan and showed their talents to the World and when they realized that the pulse of the people has changed they left the drowning boat and formed their own parties and came to the streets for their rights. It means the decisive factor was the coming out of the people to the streets for the resolution of their grievances, not the dependence on the wisdom of the politicians. If the political forefathers would have acted with wisdom, there would have no dictators and no Bhutto or his party. It was only Bhutto at that time who assessed the political atmosphere and acted to his advantage; first gave all the powers to the President when he was President and then shifted powers to the Prime Minister when he became the Prime Minister. Nothing was given to the Parliament. Despite claiming a popular elected Prime Minister, he undertook many Military actions in many parts of the Country who were primarily striving for their rights.

It means that Mr. Bhutto who is deified today by his party workers were not aware of the real ambitions of their leader or were not properly analysing the events in love of their leader which led to the massacre of many people in many parts of the Country. My targets of intense criticism are not military dictators for not doing well for the people because they were neither the elected people nor had come to do anything better. They intervened only because the elected people were not welling to bear each other nor were doing according to their promises.

Today if some groups or political parties try to spread their wings; the others are trying to contain them, is the same game once had been played. Actually every party tries to blindfold their supporters and workers and give them impression that others are doing against Pakistan, ideology of Pakistan, integrity of Pakistan etc. In my opinion, the struggle is for the power on the indigenous resources either in shape of mountains, underground gas, coals or other natural resources.  If the natural resources are handed over to smaller provinces, then they would utilize them in better ways and to the advantage of their people and would give to the Federal Government its due share. In the present circumstances either the Federal Government is unwilling or the Provincial Government is unable. The deadlock is worsening the condition of the common man not the big ones.

More Provinces would also reduce the monopoly of the few parties or few individuals. At present, the voice of only five persons, the Prime Minister and four Chief Ministers is honoured and the 180 millions people look only to these persons which have not brought any change in their lives. It is my firm conviction that more Provinces would reduce the use of GUNS in the deprived places. Whatever may be said it is reality that the areas where military operations are going on are the poorest and most neglected places of the Country. The gap of haves and haves not is wider in these areas as compared to the other areas.

General Musharraf was clear on the point when he introduced the system of Local Governments but the election of District was not according to the spirit of the democratic values. Only that person got elected who was rich. The poor and honest had no place in such like elections. The concept of one man one vote should have application at every level that is why instead of bringing any good to the people it polluted the whole system. People were kept away at the District level which paved the way to unscrupulous people and caused much controversy of their genuineness.

We blame the unelected military dictators but forget that the politicians have always usurped the rights of the people in the name of the democratic mandate. The politicians have always blamed both the Military and Civil bureaucracies but it is a fact that these politicians have always joined these institutions in their illegal acts and have later on given validity.

At present there are many kinds of Muslim League and the real Muslim Leaguers are confused which one is the real Muslim League. Those who have political wisdom have either formed new political parties or have joined these parties.

General Musharraf is going to have All Pakistan Muslim League but he would failure because the people are not willing to accept even the name of Muslim League for their new group or party. The Muslim Leaguers would ultimately destroy themselves by further subdivisions and as result their workers would join other parties. It is unique phenomenon that some Muslim Leagues are in Government while others are pulling their legs.

I hope that the independent Media and Judiciary would play their roles in safeguarding the rights of the people and good governance by whatever means available to them.

Manzoor Ahmad Yousafazi

Sunday, 25 April 2010