Editorial
There’s a debate ongoing in Pakistan on ‘changing the system. A businessperson from Punjab is running a campaign titled “Reimagining Pakistan” with the aim of creating more provinces in Pakistan. The movement is not new, though. However, it has gained momentum recently. Some are supporting his school of thought; scholars are quoting governance frameworks. Two schools converge on some points and diverge on others: Supporters of reimagining Pakistan would argue Pakistan could save 30 billion by creating more provinces. While those who disagree would quote academic evidence of governance and argue more provinces would not improve quality of life.
Other than these two extreme points of view, there is another way too: Creating Creative Cities. The research at the Republic Policy has found that cities are engines of growth. Everywhere in the world, all great countries have creative cities. These cities are the hubs of commerce, cultural spaces, and origins of productivity.
Jane Jacobs, in his book, The Economy of Cities, argues that “Cities have been acknowledged as primary organs of cultural development; that is, of the vast and intricate collection of ideas and institutions called civilization.”
In Pakistan too, the real need is to establish the creative cities. Intellectuals who understand the system never demand new provinces on any lines. They clearly demand local governments and creative cities.
Cities cannot be reformed without reforming the civil service. In the words of Nadeem-ul-Haque, the centralized PAS bureaucracy always opposes creating cities, devolving powers to local levels.”
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