Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shafiullah Jan has said that his party will not be in favour of a referendum on the issue of new provinces.
The statement came during the Geo News program Capital Talk, where the issue of the creation of new provinces was debated. Minister of State Barrister Aqeel Malik, who belongs to PML-N, argued in favour of a referendum on new provinces. He said the method of a referendum is written in the Constitution and it should be used to decide whether new provinces should be made.
PPP leader Palwasha Khan opposed this idea. She said the Constitution already has a clear procedure for making new provinces. She asked, can a referendum replace the procedure that is already written in the Constitution?
She said as soon as we hear the name of a referendum, we should condemn it, because it is not the constitutional way. PTI leader Shafiullah Jan also clarified his party’s position. He said PTI will also not support a referendum on the provinces issue.
The debate started after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for a debate in the National Assembly over the creation of new provinces, especially South Punjab, Bahawalpur, and Hazara. PML-N government is suggesting that instead of a parliamentary vote, a referendum should be held in relevant areas. But PPP and now PTI both say a referendum is unconstitutional.
Article 239 of the Constitution says a new province can only be created by a two-thirds majority in the concerned provincial assembly and then a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Referendum is not mentioned as an alternative for new provinces; it is only mentioned for other matters under Article 48. Shafi Jan said PTI believes in constitutional supremacy and will not back any shortcut method like a referendum for such a sensitive national issue.
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