• Pakistani liberals' stance on Federalism
• Pakistani liberals' stance on Media
• Pakistani liberals' stance on Education
• Pakistani liberals' stance on Electoral Reforms
• Pakistani liberals' stance on Political Reforms

Pakistani liberals' stance on Federalism

In any federation of the world, disagreements over the distribution and allocation of resources arise. However, if these disputes are allowed to linger on for extended periods of time they are internalized into the people's psyche. This has occurred in Pakistan and that is why a visitor to Balochistan hears statements like "we are the umpteenth province of a Third World Country; our fate can never change"; Punjab being referred to as the "big older brother" in NWFP and Sindh; and about how other provinces are jealous of their progress in Punjab. All these complaints have become well entrenched

There are bones of contentions that have clouded the federal atmosphere in Pakistan. However, what can be done about it? What is the way forward? Some suggestions are:

• Council of Common Interest should meet and take up these issues. The Council of Common Interest is a constitutionally body that has the specific mandate of resolving inter-provincial and provincial-center disagreements. In 2003, a Senate committee was constituted to resolve the construction of dams. This was unnecessary, as the Council of Common Interest should have taken up the matter. However, the sad fact is that the Council of Common Interest did not even meet. In fact, the Council has not met for the last 13 years!

• Concurrent list should be abolished. With a federal and provincial list in place, a concurrent list is unnecessary. Its very prolonged existence is against the essence of federalism.

• Centralized federalism is not the answer. The state of Pakistani federalism can at best be described as centralized federalism and that is the core cause for concern. In fact, it can also be said that all of the bones of contention in Pakistan’s federation are the result of this odd concoction of federalism. A federal system of government based on the principles of solidarity and subsidarity is the answer.

• The people of the Northern Areas must be given constitutional and political rights.

• Multi criteria formula for the National Finance Commission Award must be considered.

• Pluralism and diversity is natural, home grown and beautiful. None of the provinces are monolith. In Punjab,there are the Seraikis, the Punjabis and the Potharis. NWFP is home to the Pushtoons and the Hazars. Balochistan has beautiful pockets of Pushtoons and Balochs while in Sindh there are Sindhis and Mohajirs. They come together to form the picture of Pakistan but they do not abnegate themselves to do so. To expect Pushtoons, Potharis, Mohajirs, Sindhis etc to abjure themselves is to take the beauty of plurality. The time has come to be serious about federalism so that in this era of regional multi-lateralism we are not plagued by the problems of the previous century.