No Benefit in Creating Smaller Provinces by Violating Constitution: Khawaja Saad Rafique

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that creating smaller provinces would serve no purpose if the Constitution continues to be violated.

Addressing the National Policy Dialogue, the former federal minister said the government should first establish an elected parliament and then consider the creation of smaller provinces.

“Do not eliminate citizens’ authority while trying to establish the writ of the state. First establish an elected parliament, and then create smaller provinces,” Saad Rafique said.

He said the previous government remained focused on putting people behind bars, adding that Pakistan was a nuclear power and there was a tendency to believe that political opponents could be suppressed to create a path forward.

Those who had written democracy with their blood thought differently, he said, adding that the country was currently standing at a crossroads where no clear way forward was visible.

Saad Rafique said Pakistan had experienced several declared and undeclared periods of martial law. He also criticised the political parties, saying that many had effectively become family fiefdoms.

“If a political party becomes the property of one family, how can it deliver democracy?” he questioned.

Commenting on the security situation, he said the law-and-order situation in Balochistan was before everyone. He warned that while the state was trying to establish its writ, it should not eliminate the rights and authority of citizens.

Saad Rafique also expressed concern that the situation in Azad Kashmir could potentially become similar to that in Balochistan.

He called for strengthening parliamentary democracy and urged authorities to stop turning “parliamentary democracy into parliamentary authoritarianism.”

The PML-N leader reiterated that no matter how many smaller provinces were created, they would not bring any benefit if the Constitution continued to be violated.