Pakistan is a unique country in the sense that following the abrogation of one unit in 1970, it has four provinces. The fifth province called as East Pakistan transformed into Bangladesh in December 1971. Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are not the provinces of Pakistan because of the controversial nature of J&K. The debate to create new provinces in Pakistan is quite old arguing that when India can have 28 states (provinces) and 8 union territories and Afghanistan can have 34 provinces, why there is no change in the provincial map of Pakistan.

Pakistan most populous province is Punjab whereas Baluchistan which accounts for 44% of the country’s territory is least populated. There is certainly an asymmetry in the provincial map of Pakistan in terms of demography and territory. An ethnic and lingual variation in the provinces of Pakistan is also a reality. Almost half of Baluchistan is Pashto speaking whereas in Punjab around 40% of population is Siraiki speaking. In KPK, Hindku speaking population is concentrated in Hazara division. The most dangerous ethnic situation is in Sindh whereas Sindhi speaking population is 55% whereas Urdu, Pashto and Punjabi speaking communities account for 45%. Ironically, Karachi is the capital of Sindh but Sindhi speaking population in that city is around 15%. Given the ethnic and lingual contradictions in all the four provinces of Pakistan, the debate to create new provinces tends to reflect the reality that the country is facing a dilemma to redraw the provincial map of the country.

From time to time, there are demands and arguments to create new provinces in Pakistan either by upgrading divisions as provinces or to give provincial status to South Punjab, Hazara, Pashtun belt of Baluchistan and the urban centers composed of non-Sindhi speaking communities. The constitution of 1973 which created provinces has also a mechanism to........

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