Horizontal Inequalities and Demand for the New Provinces: A Study of People’s Support for Demand of Hazara Province

Abstract

The demand for creation of more provinces in Pakistan is fostering in all parts of the
country including Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The demand for a separate
Hazara province dates back to 1950s but it got massive popularity after passage of 18th
constitutional amendment in 2010. The renaming of the North West Frontier Province
(NWFP) as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was the mediating factor that caused outburst of
protests and demand for a separate province in all parts of the Hazara division. This
demand is supported by several local political groups as well as a various mainstream
political parties of Pakistan. This study attempts to investigate the extent of support for
the demand of Hazara province among the people with diverse socio-economic, ethnic,
and political background from all districts of Hazara division. The study is based on a
survey conducted through questionnaire developed on the theoretical assumptions of
horizontal inequalities. Each statement was measured at a four-point Likert Scale
ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). The responses were
statistically analyzed through using SPSS. The study found that the vast majority of the
people (81.3 percent) believed that horizontal inequalities were the main cause of
demand of Hazara province. A vast majority of people believed that creation of Hazara
province was the only remedy for the prevailing disparities between Hazara and other
parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.