Democracy, stability more important than new provinces: NP
• Disregard for Constitution, democratic principles fueling public unrest, Buledi warns
• Calls for trust-building, says Balochistan’s grievances cannot be resolved through force
GWADAR: National Party (NP) central leader and Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi has said that Pakistan’s core issue is neither the creation of new provinces nor their division, but rather the continuity of the democratic and political process and economic stability.
He said the failure to adhere to the Constitution and uphold democratic principles was fueling public unrest, with conditions deteriorating not only in Balochistan but also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
While Pakistan maintains good international relations with major powers, Senator Buledi emphasised that addressing internal challenges, including those in Balochistan, required the civil and military establishment to address the root causes of the problems and build public trust.
He expressed these views during a dialogue programme at the Turbat Press Club auditorium. Senator Buledi noted that the demand for new provinces was not on the agenda of any mainstream political party, including the PML-N, PPP, PTI or JUI-F. He said that, except for Balochistan, Pakistan’s provincial boundaries largely reflected administrative arrangements established in 1901, before independence, and argued that creating new administrative units could exacerbate existing tensions.
He reiterated that the National Party’s objective was to convey the grievances of Balochistan to Islamabad, stressing that the use of force could not resolve these issues. While his party sought solutions through democratic institutions, he expressed concern over the prevailing institutional attitudes.
He outlined Balochistan’s multifaceted crisis, ranging from education, unemployment, border trade, agriculture and groundwater depletion to public safety and the critical issue of enforced disappearances, which he described as a violation of the Constitution.
Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2026
