Afghania: Renaming NWFP through Consensus - By Dr. Mohammad Taqi

Afghania: Renaming NWFP through Consensus - By Dr. Mohammad Taqi
Politact.com; January 8, 2010

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

At this time in the constitutional history of Pakistan, there apparently is a lot in a name; a name for the NWFP, that is.

Two major political parties of Pakistan viz. Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) have nominated a five member committee each, to meet and hopefully agree upon rechristening the NWFP.

In and of itself this may not be a major development for rest of the Pakistan, but on its resolution apparently hinges the forward movement in repealing the 17th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is likely to bless the consensus developed by the ANP and PML-N.

The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) was so named, when in November 1901 the Viceroy of British India, Lord George Nathaniel Curzon, the First Marquess of Kedleston, carved out the Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat and Hazara districts from the Punjab province and consolidated them into one administrative entity and appointed Sir Harold Deane as its first Chief Commissioner.

The chief commissionerate was abolished in 1932 and the NWFP became a Governor's Province with the then Chief Commissioner Sir Ralph Griffith continuing as the first Governor. Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum became the province's first minister. The first general elections under the Government of Indian Act 1935 were held in 1937 and Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum was elected the first chief minister of the province.

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