Zardari, Shehbaz Agree on New Provinces Referendum
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have agreed that any new provinces referendum must follow the Constitution and win approval in parliament. The understanding came at a meeting between the two leaders at the prime minister’s Model Town residence in Lahore on Saturday.
Official sources told Dawn that both leaders agreed to strictly follow the constitutional rules for creating new provinces or administrative units. Any referendum on the issue would also need parliament’s approval. The sources said the two leaders agreed that parliament could not be bypassed when deciding whether a referendum should be held and what questions it should put to the public.
“The majority in parliament will decide whether a referendum is to be held and what its question(s) should be. Without consensus, the matter cannot move an inch. Parliament cannot be bypassed,” an official source quoted the meeting as agreeing.
PPP holds firm against dividing Sindh
President Zardari made it clear that the PPP’s position remained tied to the Sindh Assembly’s resolution against creating new provinces, and that the party opposed any move to divide Sindh.
The PPP has held this line throughout the debate. Its chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other senior leaders have said repeatedly that dividing Sindh is neither legally nor politically acceptable. The Sindh Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution against the province’s division, and the PPP keeps citing it as the basis of its stand.
The debate has also exposed differences inside the ruling coalition. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has argued that Pakistan could have as many as 12 provinces if the exercise followed administrative needs rather than language, ethnicity or politics. The PML-N has not yet set out a formal policy, saying it will state its position when the matter reaches parliament.
What the Constitution requires
The Constitution sets a high bar for changing provincial boundaries. A bill to alter the limits of a province cannot go to the president for assent unless the provincial assembly concerned has passed it with at least two-thirds of its total membership. Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah made the same point on Friday, saying that merely calling for a referendum would not create a new province.
PML-N sources told The News that the federal government had also studied the route for a referendum under Article 48(6) of the Constitution, under which the prime minister can seek parliament’s permission to hold a referendum on a matter of national importance. The sources said approval would be sought from a joint session of parliament.
How the new provinces referendum debate started
The discussion came two days after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi floated the idea of a referendum on new provinces, arguing it could settle the debate once and for all.
The sources said the two leaders also held a brief one-on-one meeting to discuss a message Mr Naqvi had conveyed to the president during his recent visit to Nawabshah. The issue of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan also came up. The meeting was told that Mr Khan’s recent hours-long meeting with his lawyers and the release of his two sisters from jail were not linked to any behind-the-scenes development.
The referendum debate is far from settled. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has called smaller provinces a national necessity, while ministers have already said parliament and the provincial assemblies cannot be bypassed. A federal minister had earlier said a referendum on new provinces cannot bypass parliament. The next step now rests with parliament, where no majority for a referendum has yet been tested.
Frequently asked questions
What did Zardari and Shehbaz agree on new provinces?
They agreed that any move to create new provinces, including a referendum, must follow the Constitution and win parliament’s approval. Parliament cannot be bypassed in deciding whether a referendum is held or what questions it asks.
Does the PPP support dividing Sindh?
No. President Zardari restated the PPP’s opposition to dividing Sindh at the meeting, in line with the Sindh Assembly’s unanimous resolution against new provinces.
Who proposed a referendum on new provinces?
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi floated the idea two days before the meeting, saying a public vote could settle the debate once and for all.
What does the Constitution require to create a new province?
A bill altering a province’s limits cannot go to the president unless the provincial assembly concerned passes it with at least two-thirds of its total membership. A referendum alone cannot create a province.
Was Imran Khan discussed at the meeting?
Yes. The sources said the jailed PTI founder’s situation came up, and the meeting was told his recent meeting with lawyers and his sisters’ release from jail were not linked to any behind-the-scenes development.
