In 2018, the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Governance Order was thought to be in the best interest of the people of the region and the country, with substantial executive power vested in the prime minister in Islamabad.

Now a fresh move is afoot to give GB the special constitutional status of a province, pending a resolution of Kashmir dispute and following a Supreme Court verdict in January 2019.

The current Governance Order does not address the region’s aspiration for the ‘full-blown right to provincial autonomy’, says scholar on International Rights Law Yasir Abbas at a UK University. The proposed GB province will increase the number of sub-federations to five and as it is said, the more the merrier. Earlier the Federally Administered Tribal Territory (Fata) was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A new province and another with a bigger population and resources would add the weight of the provinces in decision making of federally-run institutions.

These developments indicate which way the political wind is blowing. Some noticeable measures now underway, when implemented, may finally turn out to be baby steps for creation of the South Punjab province or an autonomous region within the existing province.

Universally applicable ideas can only be forged based on recognition of rights and responsibilities of various segments of the population

Chief Minister Buzdar says land has been allocated for the establishment of the South Punjab Secretariat along with a Rs 4 billion fund. The provincial government also plans to prepare a separate annual development plan for South Punjab from the next fiscal year. For the current year, 35 per cent of the provincial development budget has been earmarked for the southern region and ring-fenced to prevent from being withdrawn or diverted for projects elsewhere.

While the quantum of GB autonomy has yet to be defined, major opposition parties have, however, agreed in principle, prompted by the establishment, to give GB a ‘provincial’ status owing to sensitivities involved because of the area’s linkage with the Kashmir dispute.

Aware of the international implications, Mr Abbas suggests an interim arrangement till such time the region is integrated through a formal constitutional amendment into the Pakistan federation. He says Governance Order 2018 should be amended (a) to clearly define that a citizen is a resident of GB only to check migration of outsiders, (b) redefine ‘property’ and re-impose restrictions on non-locals acquiring property in GB, (c) jobs, including the appointment of judges, should not be beyond the reach of locals, and (d) grant human rights free from any limitation.

The apex court had directed the government to prepare a fresh draft keeping in view the Sartaj Aziz report on the issue while ensuring that the amendments to the GB Governance Order do not violate relevant constitutional provisions and procedures. The 2018 Order is stated to have further restricted the limited rights conferred on the people of the region in 2009.

Currently, the movement for federalism is not restricted to just centre-provinces’ relationship. The need for empowered representative local governments has emerged as a national issue after the devastation caused by heavy rains in urban areas like Karachi.

A big rally was taken out in Karachi on September 24 by MQM-P to highlight the rights of the city and other urban areas in the province. The issue of restoration of representative local bodies and their empowerment as provided in the Constitution is now before the Supreme Court, particularly with reference to the two bigger provinces of Sindh and Punjab.

The PTI government supports the empowerment of representative local bodies (RLBs) in Sindh and the PML-N wants RLBs restored in Punjab. MQM-P needs to seize the opportunity offered by these developments to step up its demand for autonomous elected local governments.

It would be prudent for MQM-P to build a common platform with local leaders in rural areas to secure constitutional rights and responsibilities of local governments. Instead, the MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has renewed the party’s demand for creation of ‘South Sindh’ comprising of the urban areas of the province.

It is not clear whether a province of urban areas would be a viable contiguous landmass or randomly insulated from its hinterland. For urban areas insulated from the countryside, it would be more appropriate to have urban autonomous institutions for cultural minorities where they are in majority within the province.

For the creation of the new province, a resolution would be required to be passed by the Sindh Assembly which would also need the approval of a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly and the Senate. MQM-P does not enjoy provincial or countrywide support for its dream of a new federating unit.

The call for a new province only serves to perpetuate ethnic divide, making financial autonomy and representative local governments accountable to the urban electorate more difficult. It is forgotten that ethnic self-assertion has to work within the spirit of collectivism in Sindh’s territorial jurisdiction.

Such problems occur because there is no clearly defined role for the two conflicting visions and approaches in the country — one anchored on centralisation and the other on unity in diversity — on how the country’s economics and politics could be reorganised and integrated for the public good.

Centralisation, which does not work within the ambit but at the cost of democracy, is counterproductive. That is the reason why fundamental issues such as the constitutional course the country should take, and choosing the best economic model for addressing growing inequality continue to haunt the nation including the policymakers.

The taste of the pudding lies in the eating. Each of the two visions has to pass the critical test of changing ground realities to succeed. In this era, it is primarily innovative ideas identified and evolved through interaction with all stakeholders based on concrete experience that offer immense space for centralisation. But universally applicable ideas can only be forged based on recognition of rights and responsibilities of various segments of the population.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 5th, 2020