Call for more provinces, greater autonomy

Social activist Mehfooz-un-Nabi Khan said on Thursday the cultural identities exist in numerous parts of Pakistan and should be allowed a "just share" in provincial autonomy. Addressing as keynote speaker at the Karachi Press Club, he said that since the country was facing crises of cultural identifies, there is the need for creation of more provinces to satisfy the need for celebrating their respective cultural identities.
Mehfooz urged the government to declare Karachi Pakistan's second federal capital. Before the breakup of Pakistan, he recalled, Dhaka was the second capital of a united Pakistan. The representation of Balochistan must be enhanced in the federal legislature. He highlighted various flaws in the amendments of the Constitution, which was adopted not for the improvement but to be "suited to the wasted interests."
For example, he said, the 18th Amendment has flaws like delegation of powers to nominate caretaker governments before the general elections to the leaders of the House and opposition, and not only in the federal legislatures but also in the provincial assemblies. Similarly, he said the leaders of the house and opposition in the National Assembly enjoy the powers to nominate the chief of the National Accountably Bureau (NAB).
And members of the Election Commission are nominated by the respective provinces whereas leaders of opposition in the provincial assemblies are not taken in the Council of Common Interest. Such shortcomings affect neutrality in the conduct of elections and accountability, he said. On the other hand, he added, leaders of the opposition in the provincial assemblies have no place in the Council of Common Interest. Common interests cannot be justly safeguarded without inclusion of the voice of the segment covered by the opposition in the provincial assembles.
The electoral college electing members of the Senate does not reflect the updated public mandate, he noted. For instance, senators who got elected between from 2008 to 2013 do not reflect the updated public mandate after 2013. Similarly, the senators to be elected in March 2018 will not necessarily represent the updated public mandate in 2019, he said.
Therefore, he added, elections to the Upper House and the provincial assemblies should be held simultaneously. The event was organized by Association for Future Concern in collaboration with the Press Club. The speaker is convener of the Federal Urdu University Alumnae Association.