Kh Asif says consensus on new provinces nearing, political landscape to change rapidly

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday that efforts to build political consensus on the creation of new provinces were nearing fruition and that an agreement could rapidly change Pakistan’s political landscape.

Speaking on Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan”, Asif said that consultations on the issue had been under way for several weeks and that he did not think the process of building consensus would take much longer.

“If consensus is reached and new provinces are created, the country’s political landscape will change rapidly,” he said, adding that the matter was moving towards its conclusion.

The minister said that there was no reason for anyone to feel politically threatened by the possibility of a new administrative structure, arguing that political circumstances continued to evolve.

He also suggested that Pakistan could see a new system in the coming year, although he did not explain what form it might take or provide details of the proposed administrative arrangements.

Asked about the political implications of the proposed changes, Asif said that the creation of new provinces or administrative units should not be viewed as a threat to any political party.

He expressed confidence that the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) reservations over the proposal could turn into consensus within a few months.

Asif also said he was not aware of the precise mechanism through which new provinces or administrative units would be established.

He nevertheless expressed confidence that consensus would emerge soon, adding that political developments were moving towards a decision.

18th Amendment and LG system

The defence minister said politicians themselves had contributed to the present situation, arguing that proper implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment could have led to the development of effective local government systems or administrative units.

“If the 18th Amendment had been implemented in letter and spirit, local government systems or administrative units would have been visible by now, and people would have seen delivery,” he said.

Asif maintained that the absence of an effective local government structure had prevented people from receiving the benefits of devolved governance.

He reiterated that the proposed administrative changes should not cause political insecurity, saying the political situation was not static and that new arrangements could benefit governance.

Political consultations and meetings

Referring to recent political contacts, Asif said a meeting had taken place between President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, followed by another meeting involving the president and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Earlier, the President House rejected media reports that Zardari and Naqvi had discussed matters related to the new provinces during a meeting held earlier.

The clarification followed reports claiming that Zardari and Naqvi had discussed the possible creation of new provinces during their meeting in Nawabshah on Thursday night.

He suggested that political voices emerging from Sindh reflected a desire for greater clarity on the issue of new provinces.

However, the minister said he had no information about the details of the reported meeting between the president and the prime minister.

He said that discussions held during private meetings were not made public until decisions had been finalised, describing this as a normal practice in both national and international politics.

According to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office earlier, Zardari Sharif discussed the country’s political, economic and security situation during a meeting at the premier’s residence in Model Town, Lahore, on Saturday.