In an unanticipated move, the Punjab caretaker cabinet led by Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi has suspended the newly established districts and tehsils notified by former Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. Though the reason for the withdrawal of the notification was not cited by the Mohsin Naqvi government, government circles, however, say the new districts and tehsils aimed at gaining political mileage and pleasing the blue-eyed politicians.
A new administrative unit is always a burden on the provincial exchequer, but it always sells in politics.
New districts and tehsil
The Parvez Elahi government elevated the status of Talagang, Murree, Wazirabad, Kot Addu, Tausa Sharif, and Jampur from tehsils to districts and town committees of Jalalpur Jattan, Alipur Chattha and Kunjah to new tehsils.
A senior official privy to this development told The Friday Times (TFT) that merit had been completely ignored by the Parvez Elahi led government in the formation of these districts and tehsils.
Step aimed at ensuring free and fair elections?
“It is a great decision of the caretaker government to suspend the formation of newly established districts and tehsils which were aimed at pleasing the blue eyed politicians so that they could benefit in the upcoming general elections,” he said.
The senior official maintained that by suspending the formation of these new tehsils and districts the caretaker setup has paved the way for free and fair elections in the largest province of the country in terms of population.
“The caretaker government has also stopped appointment of 549 officials and staff in Gujrat Division and other districts,” another senior official confirmed to TFT.
He further shared that in Gujrat division and new districts the government affairs would be managed by 42 officials. “In Gujrat 94 new appointments of officers and staff were stopped. While 310 new appointments of officers were stopped in Wazirabad, Talagang, Murree and Kot Addu.”
“Meanwhile, 103 new appointments were stopped by the caretaker government in newly established tehsils of Jalalpur Jattan, Alipur Chattha and Kunjah,” a senior official concluded.
Speaking to TFT, a former senior bureaucrat said that as it is known to all, these new districts were created not on some administrative grounds, but rather on political basis. The purpose was to gain political mileage, and votes, for the ruling parties.
“Since the caretaker government’s declared rationale is to ensure fair elections, it makes sense that all those measures that give a political party undue advantage and influence, are removed,” the senior bureaucrat maintained while adding that the caretaker government has not canceled the creation of the districts. It has merely suspended the notifications till the elections are held.
For him, It is likely that this issue may be an election issue, amongst others, in the newly created (and now suspended) districts.
Agreeing with him, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Chakwal Quratulain Malik said that “Residents of Talagang rest assured that the notification of Talagang district has been suspended by the Punjab Cabinet due to administrative constraints until the next general elections, the new notification clearly states that the notification of Talagang district is due to administrative constraints and is temporarily suspended.
She maintained that as the infrastructure of administrative departments in the new Talagang district is yet to be completed while holding general elections requires complete administrative infrastructure, it is hoped that the citizens of Talagang will respect the government's decision.
How was merit ignored by Parvez Elahi?
Speaking to TFT, a former additional chief secretary who had previously worked on this project, apprised that as per the Terms of Reference (TORs) of the task force, initially the local district administration would make the proposal for the formation of new districts and tehsils, after which it was supposed to be given to the study group which comprised of officials from the Punjab’s Board of Revenue, Finance, Planning and Development (P&D), and Excise Department.
“The duty of the study group was to review the proposals in terms of geography, population and economic impacts and its recommendations to the Cabinet Committee for further deliberations,” he said.
The former additional chief secretary recalled that these new districts and divisions which were formed by former chief minister were not presented before the task force or study group, and were not established after recommendations. This clearly depicted that there were no criteria or yardstick in the formation of these districts and tehsil, and they were made purely on the basis of pleasing the blue eyed politicians or political mileage. “We cannot wake up one fine day and form new districts and tehsils based on our own personal liking and disliking.”
“It is a good move to suspend the notification till the general elections. But it is the need of the hour that the new government after coming to power investigate this important matter,” he concluded.
The Friday Times' investigations into the matter revealed that there are numerous other tehsils which had greater population then the elevated tehsils like Jaranwala, which had a population of 1.492 million; more population than Kot Addu. Similarly, the population of Sadiqabad, Ahmedpur East, Liaquatpur, Chichawatni, Burewala, Khairan, Khanpur, Kabirwala, Raiwind, Arifwala, Jampur, Daska and Pasrur is more than that of Wazirabad.
As per available data, Ferozewala, Mian Channu, Tandlianwala, Chishtian, Gujar Khan and Taxila also had more people than Taunsa Sharif. Talagang with a population of 401,000 is further down the list.
‘Talagang was made district to please Hafiz Ammar Yasir’
Sources who were privy to this development told TFT that Talagang was made district only to please PMLQ's Leader Hafiz Ammar Yasir, who was a close aide of CM Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi, who was actually the ‘de-facto’ CM at that time and Ammar was calling the shots with him in Punjab. "The move was aimed at winning the vote bank for him in the upcoming general elections and to strengthen the party in the area".
‘Wazirabad was made district to benefit PTI’s senior vice president’
Political pundits who were close to CM Elahi when he was forming this districts with just a stroke of pen and ignoring all the SOPs said that Wazirabad was made a district on Imran Khan’s behest as it was suppose to politically benefit PTI Punjab’s Senior Vice President Mohammed Ahmed Chattha, the son of veteran politician Hamid Nasir Chatha who had lost the 2018 general elections to PML-N’s Nisar Ahmed Cheema by more than 22,000 votes.
Interestingly, Imran Khan himself handed over the notification of Wazirabad district which was supposed to benefit him in the next general elections but not anymore as the caretaker government has suspended the notification.
‘Gujrat was made division to benefit Parvez Elahi-led faction of PMLQ’
According to political insiders, Gujrat was first made a district and then a division by Parvez Elahi to benefit himself, his son Moonis Elahi, and nephew Hussain Elahi in the upcoming elections against Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s sons Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Chaudhry Shafaay Hussain. Elahi intends to capitalize in the next general elections by taking credit for all the development works in their hometown constituency.
“Parvez Elahi actually wanted to hijack PMLQ from Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and strengthen his group with the formation of these new districts and at the same time he wanted to use it in his favour to negotiate for more seats with Imran Khan led PTI and blackmail him,” a senior leader who is close to Parvez Elahi told TFT while adding that it was a second huge blow for Elahi in last few weeks, as first ECP declared Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to be legitimate head of PML-Q and now CM Naqvi has poured water on his plans.
‘Level playing field for all’
Former MPA Syed Muhammad Sabtain Raza Bukhari, who is an 'electable' from Alipur, told TFT that it is an excellent initiative of the caretaker government to suspend the notification of new districts till the elections as it would provide a level playing field to all participants and parties.
“These notifications, just ahead of general elections and before the dissolution of Punjab assembly, were a mere eyewash to convince voters to vote for them,” he concluded.
‘PTI, Elahi group trying to gain sympathy after suspension of new districts’
According to political insiders, Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Hussain Elahi, Parvez Elahi and other key leaders belonging to PTI and Parvez Elahi led group are using this constitutional move of the caretaker setup to its political advantage, gaining sympathy from voters by saying that these new districts were suspended by the caretaker government at the behest of Shehbaz Sharif-led PDM government.
Chaudhry Salik clears the air
Senior Vice President of PML-Q Chaudhry Salik Hussain said that the notification of the temporary suspension of the Gujrat division of the Punjab government and the district of Talagang is not permanent, but the respective divisions and districts will be restored as soon as the new government is formed. He said this was because, according to the notification of the caretaker provincial cabinet, the administrative obstacles are being raised especially by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“Restrictions on recruitment and lack of infrastructure led to its temporary suspension. Some people are misrepresenting this initiative for their political interests and misleading people,” Salik said, while adding that Gujrat division and Talagang district will be restored with the formation of the new government. "I am always at the forefront of ensuring this initiative," he clarified.
‘Opposing views’
Speaking to TFT, Salman Abid, a political analyst and an expert on the subject said that the decision to establish new districts was basically a political decision and now the decision to abort this decision is also political.
“Chaudhry Parvez Elahi took this decision to benefit himself politically that is why he created new divisions, districts and tehsils. Similarly the newly established caretaker government has realised and decided to abort this decision so that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi couldn't get any political advantage in coming elections.
“Neither that decision was principally right nor this current decision,” Salman said. For him, it is true that new districts should be established in Punjab. But he purports there should be a larger consultation at assemblies level on where these districts, divisions and tehsils should be made.
On the other hand, one thing that may be understood is that more decentralization will happen with the establishment of new districts. Multiple factors, including population rate and size of the division, are considered before creation of new districts and divisions. So if new districts are made on the basis of these factors, then it will be possible to spend money on the public through fairer distribution of wealth. But looking at the current situation, Salman feels that this whole 'game' is being played "inside the political ground".
Thirdly, after the 18th amendment in which the PPP devolved the powers to the provinces, these powers were supposed to be transferred from provincial to the district level, but that did not happen.
“So even if we make the new districts divisions, then all of this action will be of no use until we empower them administratively, politically and financially,” he said.
Salman believes that we need new structures and resources. "All of this needs to be considered before establishing new districts," he said.
Salman also believes that there should be a broader consultation on all these matters, and all the stakeholders should sit and discuss the issue and take a collective decision on the subject.
“The decision made by all stakeholders through consultation, will be credible, sustainable and long-lasting,” he said.
The political analyst believes that there will be a strong reaction against this decision and the people of the districts which were ordered to be created will see this decision of the interim government with great anger and they will perceive the current decisions made by the caretaker government of Punjab are actually the decisions of Shehbaz Sharif.
Agreeing with Salman, former provincial finance minister Mohsin Leghari, who is also contesting a National Assembly seat in by-elections, told TFT that this move is politically motivated. He questioned how could anyone do such a thing when the complete procedure was followed by the previous government for establishment of these new districts and tehsils. “One could have suspended the notifications if the proper procedure was not followed, but that’s not the case,” he added.