FATA - The Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan

By Sikander Hayat




The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan is an area outside the four provinces bordering Afghanistan, comprising a region of some 27,220 km² (10,507 sq mi).

The FATA are bordered by: Afghanistan to the west, the North-West Frontier Province and the Punjab to the east, and Balochistan to the south.

The total population of the FATA was estimated in 2000 to be about 3,341,070 people, or roughly 2% of Pakistan's population. Only 3.1% of the population resides in established townships. It is the most rural administrative unit in Pakistan.

FATA comprise seven Agencies, namely Khyber, Kurram, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, North and South areas of Waziristan. The main towns include Miranshah, Razmak, Bajaur, Darra Bazzar, Ghalanai as Head Quarters of Mohmand Agency and Wana .

There are 20 legislators from FATA in the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan. (12 MNAs & 8 Senators.)

The region is only nominally controlled by the central government of Pakistan. In reality it is practically entirely controlled by the Pakhtun elders.


The continuous war in Afghanistan for last 30 years had a negative impact on the tribal areas and their infrastructure. Firstly, with Pakistan becoming the frontline state in the war, the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan virtually ceased to exist. The tribal belt became the main supply route for the Mujahedeen fighting the Soviets. The tribal areas provided a base for the Mujahedeen, and weapons, supplies, and other war sustenance efforts were routed from these areas.

Large numbers of Afghan refugees arrived in the FATA, placing pressure on the local resources. In some cases, refugees outnumbered the local population. The war also brought a culture of guns and drugs. During this period, the economy of the tribal areas, which was already underdeveloped, suffered enormously.

The local administration, which already exercised only nominal control over the tribal population, was rendered totally ineffective under the impact of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. The result was that all kinds of illegal activity, like smuggling, drug trafficking and gun running, flourished in these areas.

With the withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989, there was a bloody war between the Soviet-installed Afghan regime and the Afghan Mujahedeen groups. Because security and peace were lacking in Afghanistan, there was no question of the Afghan refugees returning to their country. The tribal areas, therefore, continued to be the home of millions of Afghan refugees.


In 1996, Kabul fell to the Taliban. As a result of nearby Taliban, the writ of the government of Pakistan in the FATA became less effective. Some people of the FATA joined the Taliban in fighting against the Northern Alliance. Movement of men and material across the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan was unregulated. Several aspects of the FATA's culture have been influenced, and in some cases the traditions of tribal people were affected by the more conservative interpretation of Islam favoured by the Taliban. A large number of people from different regions of Pakistan and the world entered Afghanistan to join what they claimed was jihad against the Northern Alliance.

The 1997 elections were the first held in the Tribal Areas on the basis of universal adult suffrage. According to the electoral rolls prepared for the 1997 elections, the total number of registered votes was 1.6 million, including 0.4 million female votes. The extension of adult franchise in FATA was a long-standing demand of the people of Tribal Areas. But the successive governments of Pakistan had been postponing this decision due to their policy of appeasement towards the tribal chiefs (Maliks), who feared the loss of their entrenched privileged positions in the areas in case method of direct elections was introduced.

The FATA contain commercially proven viable reserves of marble, copper, limestone and coal. However, in the current socio-political conditions, there is no chance of their exploitation in a profitable manner.

Industrialization of the FATA is another route or remedy proposed for a rapid breaking up of the tribal barriers and promoting the cause of integration. The process of industrialization through a policy of public / private partnership would not only provide employment opportunities and economic benefits but also assist in bringing the youth of the tribal area at par with those of the developed cities in the rest of the country.

With Thanks To Wikipedia.

Satire - Victim In Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck

Victim In Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck

Insurgency In India

By Sikander Hayat


These days it is a fashion to predict an immediate demise of Pakistan but look at the history and you will see nothing but resilience from this country in the face of adversity. Pakistan has faced very dire moments in past as well. Especially when the Soviets were knocking at its door and threatening its very survival but it survived and prospered. I ask so called journalists to report facts and not what your readers want to hear, especially the so called independent media from India which has some kind of obsession with Pakistan. Let’s not call your wishes news or analysis.

Don’t forget it is a country of 180 million people. UK, France and Germany combined barely come close in population terms, if there are incidents of lawlessness happening anywhere that is only natural in such a big country. Plus the war on terror has pushed all kinds of bad people from Afghanistan into Pakistan who are creating a lot of havoc.


So please keep the analysis objective and not so biased. There are more people dying in India everyday in its numerous insurgencies be it Maoist, Kashmiri, Assamese, Nagas or others but somehow all the attention is squarely fixed on Pakistan.
Let’s look at India in more detail, in India Maoists movement has spread to nearly 40% of the country's geographical area and is a major political force in poor tribal states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkand and Orissa.

Maoist have burned schools, killed more than 900 security officers, and, in at least one province, detonated more than 1,000 improvised explosive devices over the past five years. The Indian government has sent thousands of soldiers into the Maoists strongholds, which also happen to be some of the most impoverished and economically underdeveloped parts of India.

Balochistan Package – A Good Start Towards Increasing The Prosperity Of Balochistan

By Sikander Hayat


Government of Pakistan has presented the initial bill for the granting of further rights to Balochistan province. Before we talk about the points of the bill presented, we must know some basic realities about Balochistan. That will help us in understanding the background in which this bill is being presented.

Baluchistan is the largest province in the country by geographical area and due to its scattered population, the most economically challenged as well. Its neighbouring regions are Iran to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east.To the south is the Arabian Sea. Balochistan is believed to be rich in mineral resources. It is the second major, after Sindh, supplier of natural gas to the country. This issue of gas is also a major issue as Balochistan’s provincial government wants more royalty on the gas production in the province.
Balochistan has a population of around 10 million inhabitants. Overall, the Baloch tribes comprise 50% of the province's population.
Quetta, the capital of the province, has a Pashtun majority with Baloch, Hazara, and Punjabi minorities leading to ethnic tensions between different ethnic groups especially Baloch and Pakhtun. Recently there have also been some targeted killings of the people who were perceived to be settlers from other provinces of Pakistan. The responsibility for these targeted killings was usually taken by the terrorist groups like BLA.

769,000 Afghan refugees can be found in the province including Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras. Many Sindhi farmers have also moved to the more arable lands in the east. There are also a growing number of other ethnic groups consisting of Hazara, Kurdish, Panjabi, Mohajir and Iranians who have made Balochistan their home in recent decades.

The economy of the province is largely based upon the production of natural gas, coal and minerals. Outside Quetta, the infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far behind other parts of Pakistan. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the
exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations.

Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, there are currently several major development projects in progress in Balochistan, including the expansion of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of Gwadar. The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. A coastal highway has also been constructed to link Gwadar with Pakistan's largest city, Karachi which was a big demand by the people of Gwadar. Also recently built is the Mirani Dam multipurpose project, on the River Dasht, 50 kilometres west of Turbat in the Makran Division. It will provide dependable irrigation supplies for the development of agriculture and add more than 35,000 km² of arable land. There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and copper mining project.

Now we come to the current situation is the province. Its reason lies in the history and the tradition of the area. The Baloch tribes have been the most prone to rebellion in Pakistan, in part due to their fiercely independent lifestyle as well as complaints at the lack of development and attention from the central government in Islamabad. These complaints have been partially addressed as the government has set-up schools and improved infrastructure near major settlements.

The Baloch adhere to a clan-like structure and code of honour called mayar that bears some resemblance to Pashtunwali, but with significant differences including the Baloch hierarchy and allegiance to Sardars and subordinate Waderas. The Sardars remain prominent in the province thanks in part to the British who boosted their authority. While many sardars encourage development and progress of their respective regions, many others are undermining federal initiates fearing that development of their regions will result in them losing their traditional and unquestionable authority over the local population. The Government of Pakistan has tried multiple approaches to appease both the local population and the tribal Sardars who exert considerable influence but the things are improving very slowly. In these circumstances and to put water on the fires burning in the province government of Pakistan needs a comprehensive approach which must include military as well as civilian route. This package which was presented today is going to be debated in the parliament and there is a chance of subtractions and additions to the bill but in its current form it looks like a good start towards compensating the past mistakes.
Given the fact that outside supporters of terror like India are fully involved in destabilizing the province of Balochistan it must be taken into account that military must stay in the province, albeit on the fringes of the major cities. If military vacates the province there will be a power vacuum which will be filled by Indian backed terrorists and groups like Jundullah which are being backed by USA to destabilize Iran.
It is a good idea to give frontier constabulary an increased role in the security of the province and when army leaves the interior of the province, it is policed by the frontier constabulary. I am all for the economic development of the province but there must not be a compromise on the security of the people of the province which terrorists groups have repeatedly targeted.


Here are the main points of the Balochistan package presented in the parliament today:

1. Necessary constitutional amendments would be made to strengthen provincial autonomy as demanded by the small provinces especially Balochistan. These would include abolition of the concurrent list of the constitution, abolition of police order and Balochistan Local government Ordinance 2001 from the 6th schedule and effective implementation of article 153 relating to Council of Common Interest.

2. Effective implementation of articles 154 to 159 and 170 of the Constitution. The restructuring of the NFC award criteria is already underway and criteria of inverse population, poverty and resource generation need to be taken into consideration.

3. Federal government, in consultation with the provincial government, would release all political workers except those involved in heinous crimes.

4. Immediate to the acceptance of all the proposals contained in the package, political dialogue would be initiated with all major stake holders in the political spectrum of the province, to bring them into the main stream of politics.

5. The political exiles who return to Pakistan will be facilitated except those involved in acts of terrorism.


6. The unanimously passed resolutions of the Balochistan Assembly from 2002 till date related to the province would be implemented within the legal framework of the Constitution.

7. The Balochistan Local government Ordinance needs to be amended by the Provincial government keeping in view the administrative needs of the province.

8. Federal government should immediately review the role of federal agencies in the province and stop all such operation that is not related to the pursuit of fighting terrorism.

9. Federal government should announce that the presence of the army in Sui will be withdrawn and replaced by the FC. Proposals should not be formulated for the construction of new cantonments except in frontier areas. The construction of new cantonments in Sui and Kohlu to be stopped for the time being. Army will be withdrawn from Sui after handing over the duties to FC. FC will take over the already constructed cantonment at Sui.

10. A Commission, headed by a sitting member of the superior judiciary from Balochistan, should be constituted in respect of missing persons.

11. The names of missing persons to be identified and if found to be in custody, those persons against whom there are no charges be released. Those against whom there are charges be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within seven days for trial. Family members of such persons be informed accordingly and allowed visiting rights.

12. A fact finding Commission, headed by a retired judge of the high court or the Supreme Court to be constituted to determined the circumstances leading to the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed.

13. Judicial inquiry by the superior judiciary to be ordered to inquire into murder of Baloch political workers namely Ghulam Muhammad, Lala Munir and Munir Ahmad as well as target killing in the province.

14. In view of the decision of the provincial government, the policy of conversion of ‘B’ areas into ‘A’ areas may be reviewed from time to time. Urban areas may have regular police.

15. The role of the FC in law enforcement shall be under the Chief Minister of the province. The powers conferred under Customs Act shall be withdrawn. Coast Guard should perform its primary duty of checking smuggling of arms and narcotics along the coast and the border.

16. There would be judicial enquiry by the superior judiciary into the allotment of land at Gwadar.

17. Special quota of scholarships by the HEC would be given to students from Balochistan to pursue studies leading up to local or foreign masters and PhDs.

18. Rationalization of the royalty formula keeping in view demands of the province.

19. The Federal government will pay royalty worth 120 billion rupees on Gas Development Surcharge from 1954 to 1991, to be payable over twelve years.

20. All new mega projects would be initiated with the consent and approval of the provincial government.

21. There will be a free economic zone at Gwadar and all appointments in Gwadar from scale one to sixteen would be from the local population.

22. Preference would be given to qualified local contractors while awarding contracts related to the port. Two jetties would be constructed on the eastern and western bays. There will be a special development package for Sui area.

23. The Federal government would create five thousand additional jobs for the province immediately.

24.The province will be able to purchase up to 20% of the right shares of PPL, OGDCL and Sui Southern when offered in the open market.

25. The Federal government will transfer 20% from its 30% shares in Saindak project to Balochistan and on completion the project would be exclusively handed over to the province.

26. There shall be uniform price of gas throughout the country for calculation of gas development surcharge.

27. Special incentives would be given to the local tribes in Kohlu district to facilitate exploration in the area.

28. The Federal government would provide one billion rupees for rehabilitation and settlement of the IDPs from Dera Bugti.

I believe that this bill is a good start but it is just that; a start. Further actions need to be taken to improve situation in the province.
I look forward to your comments on this when especially the people who live in Balochistan if they are happy with this start by the government. Off course government is going to take further steps to alleviate the deprivation of the province.

First indigenously manufactured JF-17 Thunder handed over to Pakistan Air Force

Why President Asif Ali Zardari Must Complete His Term of Office – Why Media Must Stop Trying To Remove A Democratically Elected President?

By Sikander Hayat



It seems that we like to talk about democracy a lot. We also like to talk about the supremacy of constitution but what is actually happening is quite contrary to what we like to like to think about aourselves.
We alsolike to say that Asif Ali Zardari is a crook, he has a record of corruption matched by very few, he has bank accounts full of Pakistani money spread all over the world, he has appointed ministers who’s past records are dodgy as hell but, and it is a big but, Asif Ali Zardari is an elected president, elected by the parliaments of Pakistan and its provinces. This parliament was elected by the people of Pakistan. Yes, the people of Pakistan elected this parliament and its president.
Now either stop talking about the
supremacy of people, supremacy of constitution, supremacy of democracy or stop talking about the removal Asif Ali Zardari with all means possible.
This is not the way democracies work and certainly a country, where every media person likes to talk about their democratic credentials, should not behave in such a detestable manner.
If someone does not like Asif Zardari, then there is a way to remove him. That way is clearly defined in the constitution of Pakistan which mentions impeachment.
So what is it going to be? Rule of law and supremacy of the constitution or once again premature departure of a democratically elected government. People of Pakistan, its time to make your choice.

Azad Kashmir - Is China Taking Extra Interest In Kashmir?

By Sikander Hayat

All the pictures are from Azad Kashmir




First let’s talk about the geography & political structure of Azad Kashmir.

The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) or, simply, Azad Kashmir, is the southernmost political entity of Pakistan.

It covers an area of 13,297 km² (5,134 mi²), with its capital at Muzaffarabad, and has an estimated population of about four million.

The state's financial matters, i.e., budget and tax affairs, are dealt with by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council, instead of by Pakistan's Central Board of Revenue. The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council is a supreme body consisting of 11 members, six from the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five from the government of Pakistan. Its chairman/chief executive is the president of Pakistan. Other members of the council are Azad Kashmir's own president and prime minister and a few other AJK ministers. Azad Jammu and Kashmir has its own president, prime minister, legislative assembly, high court, and official flag.


Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is a self-governing Pakistani state. It has its own elected president, prime minister, legislature, high court, and official flag. The state is divided into two administrative divisions which, in turn, are composed of a total of eight districts.
Like the rest of Pakistan, Azad Kashmir is predominantly Muslim.
President of Azad Kashmir is Raja Zulqarnain Khan and the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir is Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan.

The dominant language of Azad Kashmir is Northern Hindko, which is sometimes incorrectly called Mirpuri. Its linguistic boundaries extend beyond the borders of Azad Kashmir, however, and, therefore, it is inaccurate to call the language Mirpuri. The Hindko dialects spoken in
Azad Kashmir are distantly related to Punjabi but have distinctive features. Pashto is spoken by a sizeable minority of people, due to the large number of migrants from Afghanistan and from the Pashto-speaking areas of Pakistan, who have settled in the Mirpur area.

Azad Kashmir is cold and mountainous in the north, whereas it has a hot and subtropical climate in the southern Mirpur region. It also has some very scenic mountains and river valleys. The region includes a significant part of the Himalayas, but does not include Nanga Parbat, the world's seventh-highest mountain peak, which is located in the Gilgit Baltistan.

Now I shall try to talk a bit about the Chinese role in Azad Kashmir and Indian annoyance at this role. China has invited Mir Vaiz Umar Farooq of Hurriat Conference to visit China. This invitation has been sent through an NGO. Mr Umar Farooq has said that China has a key role in final settlement of Kashmir issue as it holds about 37,250 square kilometres area of Kashmir called Aksai Chin.


India has never accepted Chinese role in the resolution of Kashmir dispute and has even asked China to stop helping Azad Kashmir as two leading Chinese firms would undertake the urban development projects in three cities Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawlakot. The contract was signed by representatives of two Chinese construction companies and ERRA deputy chairman Lt Gen Sajjad Akram.
Khalid Amin writes in Daily times “In order to assist Pakistan to complete the development work in earthquake affected areas, China offered credit worth $300 million whereas Pakistan government contributed additional $53 Million to complete the reconstruction projects, said ERRA deputy chairman in his address to the ceremony.
For Muzaffarabad a fund of $190.62 million was allocated for completion of 90 projects. In Bagh 50 projects with the cost of $123.55 million whereas 30 projects in Rawlakot city with a cost of $38.83 million will be completed in next four and half years.
These projects will provide all modern days facilities including construction of govt buildings, roads, bridges, shopping centers, satellite towns, play grounds, besides education and health facilities. Addressing the ceremony, ambassador of China; Luo Zhaohui said that 2005 earthquake was a great disaster in Pakistan's national history and Chinese government and people were always prepared to cooperate with people of Pakistan to mitigate the sufferings caused due to this great catastrophe.
Federal Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, hailed the ERRA and SERRA role for recovery and reconstruction
efforts after devastating catastrophe. He acknowledged role of China in construction and development of various projects in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.”

Recently Chinese government distributed to the visitors to Tibet handouts in which Indian Kashmir was shown as a separate country and not part of India. Also China has a policy of issuing visa on a separate sheet to the residents of Kashmir rather than on the Indian passports as is the case with other citizens of India.

Moin Ansari writes in Pakistan Daily “In an editorial in People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese government, China said that for the US to get Afghanistan right, it must first stabilise Pakistan and the India-Pakistan relationship.
To safeguard its interests in the fight against terrorism in South Asia, the US must ensure a stable domestic and international environment for Pakistan and ease the tension between Pakistan and India, the daily said.
This made it easy to understand why US President Barack Obama appointed Richard Holbrooke as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan issues, and why India was included in Holbrooke’s first foreign visit, it added. In fact, the “Afghan problem”, the “Pakistani problem” and the “Indian-Pakistani problem” were all related, it went on to say.
China is, in effect, asking for Holbrooke to return to his original mandate of including Kashmir in his South Asia brief. Indian officials considered it a diplomatic victory to have changed the
US brief to keep India and Kashmir out of Holbrooke’s agenda. But realistically, even New Delhi is aware that some months down the line, when the present US policy to stabilise Afghanistan or Pakistan isn’t really working, and Pakistan ups the ante on a deal on Kashmir to keep fighting the Taliban, the US may find itself tempted to pick up the Kashmir part of the brief again.”

The Economist - Tackling America's Deficit Problem

Is It Possible To Resolve Conflict Between Pakistan & Afghanistan?

By Sikander Hayat


There has been a feeling of mistrust between the countries of Afghanistan & Pakistan from the day of Pakistani independence from British rule. Afghanistan tried to stop Pakistan from becoming the member of United Nations as a recognised state. For the record, Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan as an independent state on the map of the world.
Afghanistan is a country where Pakhtuns have always dominated the corridors of power and their percentage in the ethnic composition of the country is 40% with Tajiks, Hazara, Uzbek and other ethnic group making rest of the 60%. Although there is a large number of non Pakhtun nationals of Afghanistan but still the ruling class of this country look at it as a Pakhtun nation and thereby give itself a responsibility to save the Pakhtuns living in neighbouring Pakistan.

Here I am looking at the issue through the Afghan perspective which has the mindset that somehow people living in the tribal agencies of Pakistan need to be liberated from Pakistan as they were wrongly left on the other side of the Durand Line (International border between Afghanistan & Pakistan).

Mohammed Daoud Khan (an Afghan prince and politician in Afghanistan who overthrew the monarchy of his first cousin Zahir Shah and became the first President of Afghanistan from 1973 until his assassination in 1978) launched an attack Pakistan to conquer the tribal areas but was repulsed by the tribal army of the Pakistani Pakhtuns.

Afghanistan has never been strong enough to conquer Pakistani land but neither it is willing to give up its claim on these tribal agencies. This situation has left a festering wound in the relationship between Afghanistan & Pakistan. In my view this situation has to be solved as soon as possible as it is hurting the development of both countries while Afghanistan is being used by India to train and fund terrorists operating in Pakistan killing Pakistani civilians.

I believe that there are two main solutions which can help resolve the issue of Durand line between Afghanistan & Pakistan.
The first solution is that Afghanistan accepts Durand line. Both countries should remain in their boundaries and there are no more fights. But this solution is hard to sell to
people on both sides of the border. These are same people with same ethnic origin, same religion and same values.

The second solution is that Afghanistan and Pakistan form an economic trade zone with single currency and no border checks so that people can cross over whenever they want.

Pakistan and Afghanistan will keep their political & geographical entities intact but the free movement of people and finance will be guaranteed. Both countries will keep their separate armies, currencies and other arms of state.


We must not forget that there are more Pakhtun living in Pakistan then in Afghanistan so any right to vote for Pakistani Pakhtun in Afghanistan will brutally alter the power structure in Afghanistan by cornering Tajks, Uzbeks, Hazaras and other major minority groups in Afghanistan.

There seems to be a misconception about Afghanistan that it is a Pakhtun state, which is extremely wrong as Pakhtun make about 40% of the total Population with Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kirghiz, and Hazara as the other major groups in the country. Afghan demands for annexation of tribal areas is similar to Canada asking for the annexation of the northern USA because the same people live there as in Canada.

Pakhtun domination will create resentment in other stakeholders in Afghan population and may come to divide Afghanistan into Pakhtun and non Pakhtun areas.

The best possible option for both Afghanistan and Pakistan is to stop stoking flames in each others territories. The only durable option is to allow free movement of people across border and allowing Afghanistan access to Gwadar port.

Is There A Need For More Provinces In Pakistan? What Are The Future Options For Pakistan?

By Sikander Hayat


At the moment Punjab has 60% of the population of Pakistan. Other Pakistanis think that Punjab is the usurper of their resources while at the same time people of Punjab are suffering the same prejudices as everyone else in the federation, like any Baloch, Sindhi, Pakhtun, Kashmiri, Balti & Hazara.
Saying that, I must add that sometimes perceptions are as powerful as truth and there is a need to allay those fears.
Many scholars in Pakistan have studied
and commented upon case-histories such as Switzerland, Belgium, India and Nigeria, populated like Pakistan by diverse people having different languages and cultures. Switzerland has German, French, Italian and Romanch as languages and culture. Like the Punjab (60%) in Pakistan, Switzerland is dominated by the Germans (70%) but the country is divided into 26 cantons. At the time of independence in 1947, India had 7 provinces and a few Union-administered territories despite 24 distinct languages.
Why then Pakistan can’t have more provinces.


Gen Burki has recommended 17 provinces. According to him Federal Government should have follwing areas under it:

(1) Defence
(2) Foreign Affairs
(3) Currency and Fiscal Policies
(4) Trade and Commerce, only policy
(5) Federal Taxation
(6) Railways
(7) Federal Highways and Motorways
(8) Water and Power
(9) Education, only basic policy and
(10) TV, Radio and Telecommunications.


& the Provinces would have

(1) Agriculture
(2) Irrigation
(3) Power Generation and Distribution
(4) Trade and Commerce
(5) Provincial Taxation
(6) Local Government and Provincial Highways.


According to eminent political scholar Ikram Sehgal “ Punjab should have four Provinces centred on Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha, and Rahimyar Khan.
Sindh should have 2 Provinces centred around Karachi (less the Port and adjacent areas) and Hyderabad (Keti Bundar must be with Hyderabad).
Similarly NWFP should have 2 provinces
centred around Peshawar and Abbottabad. Balochistan should be split into 2 provinces centred around Quetta and Kalat, for a total of 11 with the Northern Areas (Gilgit/Skardu Dir/Chitral/Swat) constituting a separate Province, making it 12 in all.
The Federal territories should include Islamabad, Karachi Port/Adjacent areas and Gwadar.”



Mr Ikram Sehgal takes the view that the savings made by the good governance provided by these new smaller provinces will mitigate the expenses that will occur due to requirement for new political infrastructure. According to him “There may be all sorts of arguments about spending more on
Governors, Chief Ministers, Ministers, Assemblies etc but this is a necessary price not only for better administration but also for development. Even our smallest Provinces will be larger than 50 to 75 countries of the world. Each Province should have its own Assembly, the size varying according to population. The leaders of local government must act dually as Administrators and Assemblymen.”

He further says “ To give equal opportunity to each Province in the Federation they must have Members of National Assembly (MNA) as per a set delimitation as well as 5 Senators each in the Senate, all duly directly elected and 2 technocrats each (one male, one female) indirectly elected.
The Federal Territories will have 5 Senators, 2 each for Islamabad and Karachi Port/Adjacent area and one for Gwadar (plus 2 technocrats). There should be no quota except for one or two genuinely
backward areas and that too only a nominal one. Merit should be the only qualification for recognition and appointment. The buzzword for separation of East Pakistan was disparity, in creating more provinces and doing away with quotas we not only ensure parity but enter the new millennium as genuine and equal partners of a Federation made much more effective and viable.”

I believe that there is a need for a genuine debate among Pakistanis on this issue because the terrorism that we see today is a symptom not the real disease. The real disease is the feeling among the common man of Pakistan that power structures of Pakistani state are out of his reach and that is why there is need to bring these institutions of power closer to the people.
e.g currently if someone living in Bahawalnagar has a legal issue that he wants to pursue, he has to travel to Lahore where the Punjab high court sits. It is not possible for people of lower incomes to pursue this course of action. This in turn starves people of justice they deserve and breeds contempt for the system which leads to social unrest.