A Pashtun nationalist party has formally proposed to the government to create two more provinces in the country by dividing Punjab and Balochistan provinces, officials said yesterday. The Pashtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (PMAP), which enjoys a large following among the Pashtuns living in Balochistan, made these proposals to Waseem Sajjad, leader of the House in Senate and chairman of the sub-committee on constitutional affairs, they said. The PMAP, which is also a member of the committee on Balochistan, proposed the creation of Pashtunkhawa, Afghania, Balochistan, Sindh, Siraikistan and Punjab provinces. The PMAP has long been campaigning for more political rights for the Pashtuns living in Balochistan and demanding that the province be divided on ethnic lines. But Baloch nationalist parties bitterly oppose any such proposal. The PMAP leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai has proposed that the central government should only deal with defence, foreign affairs, finance and communications departments and give the rest to the provinces. The party has also demanded an end to the role of military and intelligence agencies in politics. The proposals were made to the committee, which will prepare its report on Balochistan.