Administrative restructuring of provinces

Pakistan is under tremendous stress as a nation mainly due to the effects of the ‘war on terror’. Besides it is suffering from parochial, ethnic, and sectarian strife. It is further divided between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ due to immense economic disparity and a fast dwindling middle class. To compound its woes it has a very unwieldy administrative structure. Balochistan, the largest province has almost half of Pakistan’s area 44 percent, but only 4.5 percentof the country’s population, Punjab which accounts for over half of the population (56 percent) – with another 10 percent- living in other provinces, dominates the politics, bureaucracy and army.

The demand for new provinces has been making rounds with renewed vigour and strength. The renaming of NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and extreme violence against Hazaras has acted as catalysts for this demand. It has given added impetus to the demand of a separate province in southern parts of Punjab. The demand for Bhawalpur and Seraiki provinces has been voiced once again with intensity after, 1970. It is once again gaining momentum with vigorous emotional appeals to the masses. It looks as though sooner or later there will also be demand for a Potohar province or even a Central Punjab province besides Hazara and Udayana in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), alongside Mehran in Upper Sindh besides Karachi. Similarly within the Balochistan union, demands for separate provinces in Pakhtun areas, the coastal belt and Nasirabad division are in the offing sooner rather than later.

An attempt has been made to suggest a balanced administrative structure within the existing provincial structure with minor changes. These suggestions do not require any constitutional changes or legislation. They can be enacted as an administrative measure making governance easily reachable to the population.

It may be interesting to note the administrative evolution of Punjab. Soon after it’s annexation in 1849 after the second Anglo-Sikh War, it was placed under a Board of Administration headed by a Chief Commissioner assisted by a Judicial Commissioner and a Financial Commissioner. Sir Henry Lawrence was the first Chief Commissioner followed by Sir John Lawrence. Punjab was at that time a part of the Presidency of Bengal being ruled from Fort William Calcutta in winters and Simla during the summers. The Chief Commissioner had powers similar to the Governor’s due to Punjab’s distance from Calcutta.

The demand for new provinces has been making rounds with renewed vigour and strength. The renaming of NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and extreme violence against Hazaras have acted as catalysts for this demand. It has given added impetus to the demand of a separate province in southern parts of Punjab

Primitive and inadequate communication systems prevalent at that time made it difficult for direct administration. The Punjab was later raised to the level of a Lieutenant Governor’s province in 1859. It became a Governor’s province years later in, 1901. Trans Frontier Regions (later NWFP) were under a Chief Commissioner at Peshawar from 1905 till becoming a full-fledged province in 1935. Similarly, Sindh initially a province was placed under the Chief Commissioner of the Presidency of Bombay till re-granted the status of a province in 1935. Balochistan was also administrated by a Chief Commissioner known as Agent General to the Governor General till 1955; it was given the status of a full-fledged province in 1970

Lt. Gen (Retd ) Tanvir Hussain Naqvi’s devolution plan did devolve the powers vertically, however it failed to distribute these horizontally into different regions of the province. A person from Sadiqabad or Rahim Yar Khan still has to come to Lahore to get an arms license as these powers have been centralized in the provincial government. Similarly a person from Rajanpur or Dera Ghazi Khan has to come all the way to Lahore to get his land problem sorted out with the Board of Revenue. Same is true for all other departments all powers are centralized at the Punjab Secretariat in Lahore putting masses living in remote areas at great inconvenience. Punjab’s southern districts are nearer to Karachi than Lahore. Similarly the western districts are nearer to Peshawar than the provincial capital. The public in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock etc. finds it convenient to get their problems solved by the FG rather than the PG, far away in Lahore.

Another method to devolve the administrative structure is suggested which does not warrant major decision making process or legislation. My paper on further administrative explores these options.The necessity of creating the Chief Commissioners’ administrative units (provinces) was apparent after the last mega floods in 2010-11 .The administrative handling of districts from a distant provincial Head Quarters put extraordinary burden on the present administrative structure. Ultimately smaller provinces will have to be created but meanwhile a structural response to public grievances in the short-term, and in nearby vicinity is the requirement of the day.

I am recommending one Governor, one Chief Minister, one Cabinet and one legislature for a province and the Chief Commissioner’s Units below this level. Besides taking the sting out of the present movement for provincial status in Hazara, Bahawalpur, Multan and Dear Ghazi Khan etc. it will be a big step for bringing efficient governance within easy reach.

I also feel that being a simple administrative step it does not require any constitutional or legislative changes. A simple act of re-structuring the administration can bring about a structure much more responsive to the public’s needs and aspirations.

The writer is a retired brigadier and can be contacted on ydogar@hotmail.com

Published in Daily Times, August 18^th 2018.