The issue of a separate 'Mohajir suba', which had started with poorly inscribed wall chalking, appearing in some parts of Karachi, seems to have been blown out of proportion. If members of an otherwise, ineffective and provincial assembly had not made such a hullabaloo over these wall chalkings, the matter would have not become an issue of vicious public debate.
Having stated the above, it is absolutely imperative to create at least 10-12 provinces (suba) in the country for a variety of reasons, ranging from better administration, accountability of elected representatives, focused development, policing, improved law and order situation and a host of related issues, besides aspirations of the people in the context of existing and emerging demographic realities.
It is absurd and an irrational attempt to talk about the desirability of the creation of more provinces, based solely on administrative consideration and parameters, without taking into account the dynamics of language and ethnicity issues. In this regard, take the example of India. Creation of Maharashtra and the inclusion of Mumbai (Bombay), in it, is based on language and ethnic considerations, dictated by popular demand, demographic compulsions and aspirations of the inhabitants. From "Maro Bombai" in Guajarati, it is now, "Amchi Mumbai" in Marathi language. Similarly, Bengal is for the Bengali, Tamil Nadu is for the Tamil-speaking population, Andhra Pradesh is the province of the Telogu-speaking people, Punjab is for the Punjabis, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are inhibited by the people whose mother tongue is Hindi and so on and so forth.
The situation in Pakistan is no different. Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan are identified and divided on the basis of ethnicity and language. However, there exist major discrepancies in the current make up and conglomeration of these federating entities as the demography and population mix has gone through a sea change, from a realistic stand point in the context of the aspirations of the people.
What needs to be considered pragmatically, are the legitimate demands of these large individual ethnic and linguistic groups. The demands for a separate Seraiki, or a Hazara, Bahawalpur and Pothohar 'suba', without a shadow of doubt, are legitimate, from any of the basis stated above and therefore, should be acceded to. The issue of a 'Mohajir suba', should be viewed in the same context as the demand for other smaller provinces. Sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander!
At the end of the day, however, from the administrative possibility and a potential backlash and stand-off, it is up to the federation and the current provincial assemblies to address the respective issues, akin to individual provinces. This is an issue which has to be taken up for public debate and ultimate legislative dispensation, sooner or later, for the country to move on.