Renaming the Province of NWFP

Pakistan has four provinces. These are Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP. The names of the first three provinces make sense. Punjab means 'five waters' implying the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Bias which pass through the province. The language spoken by the majority population of Punjab is Punjabi. Sindh province takes its name from the river Indus which is also called Sindh and Sindhi is the language spoken by the majority population of this province. Balochistan takes its name from the Baloch tribe which forms the majority population of this province. However, it must be noted that the entire populations of the first two provinces do not speak the languages as per the names of these provinces. Similarly, Baloch tribe is not the only tribe living in Balochistan. NWFP stands for North West Frontier Province which once part of Indian sub continent i.e India of the pre-partition era made some sense as the province lay in the north west of then India. However, NWFP is the only province of Pakistan whose name makes no sense at all and is irrelevant. It's indeed sad that despite repeated demands from the people of the province since independence of Pakistan in 1947.

The provincial assembly of NWFP has, more than once, passed resolutions including the one passed by the current ruling alliance led by ANP (Awami National Party) for change of name of the province to Pakhtoonwa (the majority population of the province is Pakhtoon, the Pashto speaking Pathan tribes, known as Pakhtoons) but to no avail. Pakistan Muslim League (N), the largest political party in opposition opposes the name of Pakhtoonwa on the grounds that all population of the province is not Pakhtoon. The truth of the matter is that the party has more following in non Pashto speaking belt of Hazara, named after Hazara tribes, and negligible in the majority Pashto speaking areas due to which it is opposing the renaming of the province as Pakhtoonwa. This area is also known as Gandhara. Political wisdom of PML(N) is strange. Both arguments, the declared and the hidden one, reflect the hollowness of the political wisdom of PML (N). How does it expect to seek the support of the Pakhtoons after opposing the name of Pakhtoonwa?

Another irony of the fate is that the renaming of the NWFP is part of the larger package of constitutional amendments under consideration by the constitutional committee. ANP has made it clear that it would not support the package if the province is not renamed. It could mean a deadlock for the passage of the package of constitutional amendments. A middle ground is being sought by renaming the NWFP as Pakhtoonwa Hazara or Pakhtoonwa Gandhara. Let us see as to what turns out to be the final outcome.