LAHORE – As the debate on the issue of more provinces in Punjab is picking up momentum at various level, jurists strongly believe that creation of new province (s) in Punjab at present is just a political stunt to ditch the rivals mainly PML-N ahead of elections and not a sincere move by the government to facilitate the people administratively.
Former Judge of the Balochistan High Court and leading member of the lawyers movement for the restoration of judiciary, Tariq Mahmood says the division of Punjab into more provinces is not possible at present as the Constitution requires the assembly of province concerned to carry a resolution/bill with two-thirds of majority expressing will of the elected representatives for carving out another province out of the bigger one. This resolution then would be sent to National Assembly and then Senate where the same majority gives it consent to let a constitutional amendment get in for increasing the number of provinces.
Given the fact that PML-N is ruling in Punjab, he said, the passage of this resolution or bill is not possible although there is no harm if for the sake of better administration a larger province is divided into more provinces which has been seen in case of various countries of the world. However the present voices of making more provinces of Punjab is merely a political gimmick to push the PML-N between the devil and the deep sea. According to him, PML-N is not willing to have more provinces of Punjab but at the same time it faces a big question how to deal with the members in its party folds who support this division and likely to go against the party will. As such, he said, the PML-N feeling pulse of the situation, has called a meeting to discuss the issue primarily to take the supporter of Seriaki province on board on the majority view. Tariq Mahmood has repelled ethnic/language based division of a province however he supports Bahawalpur case which according to him was a state with its own high court but was annexed with Punjab after General Khan broke one unit.
He said when corruption is rampant in the country and bad governance is there, how can one expect ideal administrative system in a new province to the convenience of the masses. He said situation in Karachi and Quetta is quite horrible and ethnic forces in these province are quite robust and how would they be kept quite if ethnic or language is taken as a basis for making more provinces. As such the voice of more provinces is quite a political gimmick.
Former Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ausaf Ali also said that a constitutional amendment would be required for more provinces however the present situation was not conducive for dividing Punjab. Muhammad Azhar Siddique of Judicial Activism Panel says the country was already facing serious economic and political problems and issues at the international level, as such the politicians must avoid the matters which are not of urgent need. He said creation of more provinces is just a political issue wherein no genuine demand of the people is involved.
Former Judge of the Balochistan High Court and leading member of the lawyers movement for the restoration of judiciary, Tariq Mahmood says the division of Punjab into more provinces is not possible at present as the Constitution requires the assembly of province concerned to carry a resolution/bill with two-thirds of majority expressing will of the elected representatives for carving out another province out of the bigger one. This resolution then would be sent to National Assembly and then Senate where the same majority gives it consent to let a constitutional amendment get in for increasing the number of provinces.
Given the fact that PML-N is ruling in Punjab, he said, the passage of this resolution or bill is not possible although there is no harm if for the sake of better administration a larger province is divided into more provinces which has been seen in case of various countries of the world. However the present voices of making more provinces of Punjab is merely a political gimmick to push the PML-N between the devil and the deep sea. According to him, PML-N is not willing to have more provinces of Punjab but at the same time it faces a big question how to deal with the members in its party folds who support this division and likely to go against the party will. As such, he said, the PML-N feeling pulse of the situation, has called a meeting to discuss the issue primarily to take the supporter of Seriaki province on board on the majority view. Tariq Mahmood has repelled ethnic/language based division of a province however he supports Bahawalpur case which according to him was a state with its own high court but was annexed with Punjab after General Khan broke one unit.
He said when corruption is rampant in the country and bad governance is there, how can one expect ideal administrative system in a new province to the convenience of the masses. He said situation in Karachi and Quetta is quite horrible and ethnic forces in these province are quite robust and how would they be kept quite if ethnic or language is taken as a basis for making more provinces. As such the voice of more provinces is quite a political gimmick.
Former Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ausaf Ali also said that a constitutional amendment would be required for more provinces however the present situation was not conducive for dividing Punjab. Muhammad Azhar Siddique of Judicial Activism Panel says the country was already facing serious economic and political problems and issues at the international level, as such the politicians must avoid the matters which are not of urgent need. He said creation of more provinces is just a political issue wherein no genuine demand of the people is involved.