The new provinces debate: Who wants what?

Prior to the address of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday about creation of more provinces in the country for improved administration, the debate over creating new provinces or administrative units hal already gained fresh momentum, with political leaders divided between those calling for smaller, more responsive units and others insisting that stronger local governments are the real solution.

Administrative units will be created: Mohsin Naqvi

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the existing administrative system needed to be “reset” within the Constitution and through public consent. Expressing optimism about the proposal, he said he believed administrative units would eventually be created and that neither an individual, political party nor elected representatives could stop them if they reflected the public’s will.

Talk of new provinces is premature: Rana Sanaullah

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Sept 4 that the PML-N considered discussion on new provinces premature at this stage. He also criticised the intensity surrounding a Sindh Assembly resolution on the issue, saying similar resolutions had been passed before and that the matter had been unnecessarily politicised.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, has not publicly stated a position on the creation of new provinces or administrative units.

Either 15 provinces or empower local governments: Ahsan Iqbal

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has proposed dividing each of Pakistan’s four provinces into three administrative units, resulting in a total of 15 provinces. Iqbal said the existing system was failing to deliver and called for a review committee to examine the proposal and begin a national and political debate on the creation of new provinces. “The existing system is not delivering,” he said, stressing that any restructuring would require political consensus. He called for the proposal to be examined through a broader consultative process, saying the creation of new provinces could not move forward without agreement among the major political stakeholders.

What is the problem with dividing Sindh into three? – Mustafa Kamal

Offering his two cents, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the debate should focus on distribution of resources and powers rather than the names of new units. He said the MQM remained committed to administrative restructuring while opposing divisions based on language or ethnicity. “What is the problem with dividing Sindh into three?” he asked, arguing that creating additional districts had not broken up Karachi.

Powers must reach the grassroots: Salman Akram Raja

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja argued that simply creating more provinces would not solve governance problems if authority remained concentrated in provincial capitals and the bureaucracy. The real issue, he said, was making existing administrative offices and officials accountable to citizens and transferring powers to the grassroots.

Don’t even talk about breaking Sindh: Murad Ali Shah

In a heated Sindh Assembly session earlier this week, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah strongly rejected any proposal to divide Sindh, warning the National Assembly against even raising the issue. He argued that provinces should be created according to administrative need rather than population size and stressed that Sindh had joined Pakistan as a unified province.

We will even give our lives: Saeed Ghani

PPP leader and Sindh minister Saeed Ghani took a more forceful position, saying Sindh’s unity was more important than his political career or government position. He said PPP would support the creation of a new province if the Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies themselves approved such a move, while opposing any division of Sindh.

Empower local governments first: Hafiz Naeem

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said creating new provinces alone would not resolve citizens’ problems. He called for financially and administratively empowered local governments under Article 140-A, warning that without genuine devolution, the debate over new administrative units could become little more than political manoeuvring.

Overall, the debate centres on two competing approaches: creating smaller provinces or administrative units to bring governance closer to citizens, or strengthening local governments within the existing provincial structure. Several leaders have stressed that any restructuring would ultimately require constitutional changes, political dialogue and broad public support.

PPP supports a new province in Punjab but opposes it in Sindh: Khalid Maqbool

Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said Pakistan’s political system was failing to adequately represent public interests, arguing that decision-making and resources needed to be taken closer to the people. “My and your representation is being done by a few families,” he said, adding that the assemblies were largely driven by personal rather than public interests. Siddiqui said the federal government should ensure that funds allocated to provinces were passed on to districts. He also criticised what he described as inconsistent political positions on the issue, saying, “The PPP supports a new province in Punjab but opposes it in Sindh.”