Saraiki Province Movement in Punjab: Causes, Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

Pakistan is an ethnically diverse country. Therefore, a federal system has been introduced after the independence. However, powers may not be fully decentralised to the federating units which created sense of deprivation particularly among the people of smaller provinces and less developed areas. To alleviate their concerns and grievances, the 18th Constitutional Amendment has been brought about and more autonomy has been given to the provinces. However, the amendment could not address the problems of ethnic minorities living in different provinces. This article explores the prospects of creation of a Saraiki or South Punjab Province. The article uses a qualitative research technique employing historical and descriptive methods. The data has been collected mostly from secondary sources. The findings show that Punjab is the largest province in terms of population, and it is difficult to manage its affairs efficiently from the Capital, Lahore. The provincial government faces difficulty to address the grievances of the people living in far-flung regions such as South Punjab. The growing inequalities led to the revival and intensification of the movement for the creation of Saraiki Province.

Ethnic Diversity and Federation of Pakistan: A Societal Perspective

“…Although, they tried their best to get the support of the people by stressing on their demands and under-representation of the Seraiki speaking people, but they were unable to get support of the majority in various elections. The upper class was less interested because they had strong footings in the mainstream political parties of the Punjabi ruling class (Asif et al, 2020).…”