This is New Pakistan, already!!

Pakistan has changed, many still need to realize the fact. In last 6, 7 years people of Pakistan have become more aware of their rights and country politics than before. Huge turnout in 2013 elections is another indication of change. PTI has stood first or second in many constituencies, highlighting a significant change in Pakistan. We are now living in New Pakistan where voter can throw the people out if they do not perform. PTI holds most of the credit for this change. These elections are success for PTI. Common PTI supporter just need to realize this. IK never defined the change as 'Govt of PTI'. I think IK is satisfied with his and his party's performance. First time voters should now show maturity; one cannot win majority right away (that too without any record of running a govt.); it takes time.

As PTI has emerged as a bigger party than veterans like MQM, JI, PML-Q et al, PTI should show more maturity, stop wasting their energies and should move on. They are now in a position to spread the effect of change. PTI is in parliament now with significant no. of seats. They should have made strategies to make alliances with other opposition parties right after the trend of the results was out. They have not made any single such move after elections, which shows lack of preparations and maturity on PTI's part. Inexperience and lack of maturity is one of the reasons PTI could not get majority in center. They should not waste their energies in lesser important issues like 'Saad Rafiq ko maza chakhana hai', 'Saad Rafiq enter kyun hua khawateen ki side per?' If certain ppl have issues, they should move to courts and not occupy streets.

PTI and PML-N should now think for Pakistan and start respecting each others' mandate. NS has already shown maturity by saying 'aap nay mujhe gaali di, main nay aap ko muaaf kia. aayein table per baithein aur muzaakraat karein'. NS has also said that it is PTI's right to form Govt in KP. In center, PTI can now cash in and discuss a formula with PML-N. PTI can demand ministry of foreign affairs and a couple of relevant ministries that can improve image of Pakistan. If PML-N does not agree, sit in opposition and try to capture the seat of Opposition Leader, Head of Public Accounts Committee, Head Kashmir Committee. In KP PTI can offer PML-N to join them in Govt. I wish PML-N allows PTI to run the province as they like.

Mature moves from PTI are still awaited. Party leadership should stand up, accept the results as PPPP, ANP, MQM etc. have done. PTI leadership should take immediate steps so that they can play effective role in Pakistani politics. They should thank their supporters and ask them to be patient for a while. Elections campaigns can be run with emotions, a country/province cannot be run this way. Patience, maturity and calmness are required skills to run state affairs. Supporters should allow the leadership to focus on bigger issues. Handle the rigging issues through courts or EC.

There are certain old things in our New Pakistan. One of them is not respecting the mandate given to others, a tradition of 1990s. Todays this type of agitational politics damages party's image. Parties might lose their voters if they keep doing street/propaganda politics only. 

New Provinces in Pakistan?

These days almost all political parties of Pakistan are talking about the need to divide existing provinces for one reason or the other. Every party has its own interests in this cause; some would like to avoid division on linguistic or ethnic basis and others would like to exploit the two bases, some would like to increase the representation of current Punjab, in Senate, from 25 to 40, some would like to appoint one of their leaders as a CM of a new province, some would do it to protect rights of the people of ignored/underprivileged Punjab. Whatever the reason be, most of the parties agree to have more provinces.

This is encouraging that we realize the need for new provinces. The desire to have more provinces should be inspired by administrative reasons and not by any other reason. All other reasons will give birth to a new problem of having boundaries for each province.

Pakistan already has around 25 administrative divisions. An administrative division is the next tier of government after a province. Why not make each Division a Province? Since all divisions are administrative, the new provinces will be made purely on administrative basis. I feel that the proposal of promoting each division to a province can serve as a litmus test for the parties who are serious in their demand for new province. Their seriousness in demands for new province will be in doubt if the parties who still want to have Saraikistan, BJP, or South Punjab but do not like to have a Division as a Province. This should also make those happy who want to divide Punjab and those who want to divide Sindh.

There can be reasons to disagree with the suggestion; for example legislative issues, new buildings for assemblies, high courts etc. But there will be legislative issues whenever we want to have a new province. Since each division has basic infrastructure already in place, I feel that there is very little need to build brand new buildings. Existing buildings can be used for the time being and new ones can be built overtime.

Promoting a Division to a Province can resolve many administrative as well as political issues. There will be no conflicts in demarcation of provincial boundaries. This system will allow people to have their representative at a relatively smaller area. This will end the debate of giving rights to south Punjab or rural Sindh. This approach to have new provinces has no linguistic or ethnic reasons. Hopefully, this will end the dirty politics of fooling people and exploiting their sentiments on the basis of their association with a locality. This tier of government is a middle tier between the local government and current provincial government. These new provinces will reduce the gap between the two tiers of the government. Also, this approach to create more provinces is more proactive than reactive.