Political Dynamics in South Punjab A Case Study of District Muzaffargarh (2008-2022)

Abstract

In Punjab, a movement for a new province, commonly known as, South Punjab Province or Saraikistan emerged soon after the dissolution of One Unit on the 30th of March 1970. The One Unit scheme merged Bahawalpur, which was a princely state, into Punjab province in (1970). Before “South Punjab (Saraikistan)” movement the name of this movement was Bahawalpur province movement. In this thesis, I examine the role of people of district Muzaffargarh and their demands of a new province, and nationalism created in the name of a new province. This is an academic research. In this research, I have used qualitative methodology to collect the material, related to this thesis. I have used both primary and secondary sources to collect the data. For primary data, I have used newspapers and have conducted interviews of men and women both who are part of new province politics, activists and are interested in debates of new province politics, and for secondary data author used books, research articles, online research articles, and news channels. I have conducted my fieldwork interviews and observed political behavior of political activists in district Muzaffargarh. Author selected district Muzaffargarh for research field because not much research has been done on the politics of this district. This district has its importance in a new province movement. After the 18th amendment politicians of district Muzaffargarh raised voice for a new separate province in the southern districts of Punjab. The masses of district Muzaffargarh are also interested in getting a separate province. Keywords: South Punjab Movement; Saraiki Province; District Muzaffargarh; Pakistan