Dr. Shahnaz Khan
More provinces
Recently, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi started another debate in public and media by saying there is a need for smaller administrative units, whether they are called new provinces or something else. This is not a new idea. Every time this idea is mentioned, most political parties, especially the People’s Party vehemently oppose it. So, as expected Bilawal Bhutto Zardari immediately gave statements against this proposal. Mohsin Naqvi is not naive and must have known this. So, why create waves in the political pond at a time when people are unhappy, rather angry, about the rising cost of living and diminishing buying power?
The fact is that this is precisely the reason for introducing a controversial issue that riles people up, causes politicians to play the ethnic card, and appeals to people’s very basic instinct to stick to their tribe. This helps divert their attention from their existential problems, which have the potential to create a political earthquake if allowed to fester under the surface for any length of time.
Whatever Mr. Naqvi’s motives, one thing is certain: The fundamental cause of the problems Mr Naqvi wants to solve by creating a new administrative structure or new provinces—like poor governance, exclusion of people at the grassroots level, and lack of capacity, etc.—is bad politics. It is the exclusion of people from economic and political spheres. The current system sold to people as democracy, is just a facade. As Marx said, capitalist democracy is nothing but , “The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.”
As long as wealth is concentrated in a few hands, power will also remain concentrated in those same hands. Creating more provinces will strengthen the local elite’s grip on the system. It will further divide people at the grassroots instead of uniting them to organize for their own rights.
The only way forward is socialism, if people understand it and are willing to struggle for it.
Dr. Shahnaz Khan
Vice chairperson Barabri Party
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@shahnazsk
Email: Shahnazk@gmail.com
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