People’s consent must for new provinces: National Party

The National Party (NP) has emphasized that any consideration of establishing new provinces should be grounded in the consent of the people, rather than decisions made in secret. Mir Tahir Bizenjo, a central leader and former senator of the NP, stated this during an interview with reporters on Wednesday. He cautioned that dividing provinces into numerous administrative divisions through secretive decisions could lead to significant repercussions.

According to Mr. Bizenjo, although reports indicate that prominent political parties and religious leaders have been consulted on the matter, the primary concern lies not in population or the size of a province, but rather in issues such as poor governance, corruption, exploitation, and extravagant rule. Bizenjo reminded that prior to British rule, Sindh was governed by the Talpurs, Balochistan by the Khans, and Punjab by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, whose dominion also extended into parts of present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He pointed out that the Pashtun regions of Balochistan were detached from Afghanistan under the Treaty of Gandamak, a pact imposed on Afghan rulers, and later integrated into what later became known as British Balochistan, alongside certain parts of the Kalat State.