Saddam Shah
When it comes to the federation, Pakistan is facing little crises of national integrity that it is in the process to sort out, and institutions are very serious in such a significant issue. There has been a long debate since the inception of Pakistan on federalism, that’s slowly and gradually getting better. Provinces were redefined after the abolition of one-unit system, and Balochistan was made a separate province after twenty-six years of independence, Provincial autonomy was given to the units in 2010, and NWFP was changed to KPK, and now FATA, which had FCR since the ‘Goura rule’ in 1901, may be going to merge with constitutional KPK. These all are the major steps towards mature federalism and make the country more stable and united.
FATA being a buffer zone could not be subjected to the constitution at first due to couple of technical problems and ground realities, and after a successful strategic military operation, it is ready to be the full part of country with its all laws and procedures. The regional political parties, either nationalist or religious, favored or condemned the step have their political interest to win more votes. But at last, public interest lies in, when they go with the institutions: whose priority is to work for the citizens and make untiring efforts for that. How can regional parties, which don’t represent the entire population, can go against the logical solution, but yet they were treated more than equally and considered in national policy making, just because state can compromise, but not on national interest, for what its institutions work as a means.
When we talk about small provinces theory in the country, it may be very early as the state has yet not attained that stage, and when provinces on linguistic grounds are demanded that again doesn’t guarantee national integrity and oppose unity, and that can be obviously the worst idea of time, and it means the same. The only way to move ahead is to get slowly and gradually mature, nothing is before time, so is the stability. There are questions raised: If FATA is made a separate province, it will have its own assembly and will get 300 billion in NFC award but if merged in KPK, it will have only 82 billion of annual budget share. The number of seats, it will have in the legislation and funds for it and much more, but these all the things are only beneficial to the political opportunists, who consider public rights as their personal property.
When separate provincial status is asked, it is not for the people rather for the dominant Malaks and Khans of the area including the political lords, and that is not the institutional job of state, rather state has to eliminate the traditional institutions, which are no more useful in any modern state of the world. FATA, as so known as buffer zone, would be no more there, it would be all Pakistan, and its laws would be applicable throughout its land without any difference. Now, it is up to the people of KPK, how they work to develop the underdeveloped part of it through legislation and reforms. There is no need and time to remain complicated, whatever is on the table, is more than sufficient. FATA would be no more FATA, it would be KPK, and that is what the Pashtun nationalist politics was struggling for, a separate province on linguistic basis for Pashtun in the name of Pashtunistan or Afghania, what Mahmood Khan demands so. So, the gradual fruit of their political endeavor is a step towards the idealism of their manifesto, in shape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a second largest province of the country. This is why Awami National Party is celebrating its victory over their achievement, which must be enthusiastically celebrated, it is something else that they are looking more for their political interest.
Note: This is part 1 of two part series on the topic.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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