The Two Punjabs: Disparities, Marginalizations, and the Demand for a Separate Province

Pakistan’s political and economic dynamics. But within this so-called “privileged” province, there lies a region where such treatment remains a distant dream. South Punjab, despite being part of the country’s most developed province, continues to struggle with a plethora of problems due to neglect. Whether it be infrastructure deficits, educational backwardness, poverty and unemployment crises, or discrimination against their cultural identity, these issues have stacked up and seem impossible to tackle in the current scenario. So much so that the people of the region now demand a separation from the province.

The Root Causes of Disparity

A few questions arise when taking the situation into account. Despite being part of the most powerful, developed, and prioritized province, why do these people want a separate province? Why do they feel so neglected? Is this a genuine cry for survival of their cultural identity and safeguarding their socioeconomic rights, or just one of those political agendas of the politicians to attract voters?

There has been an unseen divide between the two parts of the same province ever since the colonial era. Even during British rule, the province was structured into administrative zones, where upper Punjab saw more industrial development and flourished with economic prosperity. Meanwhile, south Punjab, known for its agrarian qualities, was limited to agriculture and remained undeveloped.

The same trend was evident in the post-independence policies. Even during the One Unit policy of Gen. Ayub Khan, upper Punjab was sought after as the industrial hub and saw development in infrastructure and economic prosperity. On the other hand, south Punjab was given the role of being the breadbasket of the country and producing the essential raw materials required for the industries present in upper Punjab. Post-independence policies have heavily focused on cities in upper Punjab like Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi, while even the major cities of south Punjab, such as Bahawalpur, Multan, and Dera Ghazi Khan, lag behind when it comes to development.

Social and Economic Struggles in South Punjab

The issue is not only about infrastructure and industries, but also other systematic problems prevalent in the region. Poverty is one of the major issues in the south of the province. According to a report from the Government of Punjab, the incidence of poverty in South Punjab is 2.5 times higher than in the rest of the province. Furthermore, the Human Development Index (HDI) of South Punjab is concerning too, as it is 32 times lower than Upper Punjab.

Poverty is also being catalyzed by the increasing unemployment in the area. According to a report from the United Nations, 31% of South Punjab’s population lives below the national poverty line. This statistic is not only concerning but raises questions about the administration while policymakers and legislators remain silent in the assemblies. Due to a lack of job opportunities, many skilled workers migrate to the upper part of the province, leaving a major gap behind.

What exacerbates the situation is the backwardness in education and lower literacy rates in the region. According to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), there are a total of 44 public universities in Punjab province, of which 33 are in Upper Punjab, while only 11 are present in South Punjab. Moreover, what is even more shocking is that the number of public universities in Lahore alone is greater than the entire region of South Punjab. As a result, students in the region are forced to leave their hometowns in pursuit of education. I myself, being one such student, can understand the sentiments of these people when they are neglected and then watch their brothers from the same province enjoying the facilities that are denied to them.

This shows how cruel the system has been toward the region. The people are suffering while the priority of the administrative groups remains toward Upper Punjab. It breaks my heart when I look at statistics like those from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey by the Punjab Bureau of Statistics, which show that literacy rates in districts of Upper Punjab average at 71.1%, while in districts of Lower Punjab, it hits a disappointing low of 50.55%.

Healthcare in this region is also lagging behind other parts of the province. The region faces the issue of contaminated water, making diseases like hepatitis, cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid common. Basic sanitation facilities are missing in the cities, while the situation in rural areas is even worse. In addition, the region faces shortages of hospitals, doctors, and medical equipment. These shortcomings have led to the ironic yet disappointing dialogue: “Ine nhi bachna, inu Lahore le jao.” Although this is a mere pun to the Upper Punjabis, it highlights the inadequate access to basic healthcare amenities faced by the residents of the majority of cities in the region. Many patients travel to Upper Punjab due to insufficient local facilities, and in emergency situations, many even die on their way to the developed Upper Punjab.

These problems are administrative and created due to the lack of efficient governance, but other factors are also leading to an increase in the distance between the two people of the same province. People from South Punjab often face discrimination and hatred on online platforms and are the butt of jokes in real situations too. It might be easy for privileged Punjabis, riding on their high horses, to pass comments about the Seraiki community, which constitutes a majority in the region. Upper Punjab is filled with stereotypes portraying them as uneducated or backward.

The Seraiki community often faces cultural assimilation as their language and culture are tried to be hijacked by the Upper Punjabis. Their language and culture are simply labeled as a dialect of Punjabi, dismissing it as “Multani Punjabi.” Every reel that contains a song from Seraiki singers, such as Attaullah Esakhelvi, will always have a section of people in the comments claiming,

“This sounds like Punjabi to me.” 

Although this might not sound serious, it is leading to hatred toward Upper Punjabis, as they often not only try to hijack the Seraiki culture but also, at times, mock it for being different.

South Punjab is important in regards to the country’s economic growth, as it is the breadbasket of the country. Pakistan is still an agrarian economy, and the major sector of the economy is related to agriculture, which makes up 24% of the GDP. Moreover, 55% of agricultural production comes from South Punjab. But still, the region continues to face the same issues since the country’s inception.

Therefore, it is high time for decision-makers to take sensible steps. Since 2013, all governments have tried to use this sentiment of the people of South Punjab to gain their support, but the implementation of providing them with a separate province remains in question. The demand for a separate province is fair, as dividing Punjab into two provinces would not only lead to better administration of the region but also to prosperity and development of the people of the region.