- Debate on new provinces gains momentum but remains informal.
- Sources say no decision has been taken on provinces or boundaries.
- Minister Ahsan Iqbal proposes creating 12 to 15 new provinces.
ISLAMABAD: Powerful quarters are believed to be in favour of restructuring Pakistan’s existing administrative setup through the creation of additional provinces or administrative units, but the issue has so far not been formally discussed in the federal cabinet, The News reported on Sunday, citing sources.
The sources said that although the debate over creating new federating units has gained considerable momentum in recent weeks, no formal proposal has yet been placed before the cabinet for consideration or approval.
The development comes amid increasingly explicit calls from senior federal ministers for a fundamental restructuring of the country’s administrative system.
Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal recently proposed creating between 12 and 15 new provinces, arguing that Pakistan’s four existing provinces have become excessively centralised and that the current administrative structure is no longer adequate to meet the needs of a population of around 260 million.
Iqbal has also suggested that each of the four provinces could, in principle, be divided into three smaller provinces. He has stressed, however, that any such restructuring would require political consensus.
He has proposed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constitute a committee through the law minister to examine administrative reforms and initiate a national and political debate on the issue.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who first triggered the latest debate by calling for a review of the country’s governance structure, has also continued to advocate the creation of new administrative units or provinces.
Naqvi has argued that Pakistan’s existing governance structure needs to be overhauled to improve service delivery, accountability and access to justice. His proposal has subsequently received support from influential quarters, while the military’s media wing also called for a debate on an “administrative reset” in view of the country’s vastly increased population and changing requirements.
The issue has, however, run into political resistance, particularly from within Sindh. The Sindh Assembly has opposed the creation of new provinces or administrative units in the province, while PPP leaders have strongly resisted any move that could lead to the division of Sindh.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, meanwhile, has joined the debate by arguing that the devolution envisaged under the 18th Amendment has not been implemented in its true spirit.
He has suggested that Pakistan’s existing 36 divisions could potentially provide a basis for a new administrative arrangement, although he made clear that the precise nomenclature or structure could be decided through consultation. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the growing public statements by senior ministers should not be interpreted as evidence that a final government decision has already been taken.
“There is certainly a thinking in powerful quarters that the existing administrative structure needs to be revisited, but the matter has not yet been discussed formally in the federal cabinet,” a source said.
Another source said the debate was currently at the stage of generating political and institutional consensus rather than taking a decision on the actual number or boundaries of new provinces.
The source said several options were being discussed informally, ranging from the creation of additional provinces to empowering district-level governments without necessarily altering the constitutional status of the existing provinces. Iqbal himself has previously floated the alternative of establishing around 160 empowered district governments instead of creating a large number of provinces. He has argued that Pakistan needs a governance structure capable of bringing administrative authority closer to citizens. The issue is particularly sensitive because the creation of new provinces would require constitutional amendments and political agreement involving the relevant provincial assemblies and parliament.
For now, therefore, the debate remains politically significant but institutionally preliminary. While senior ministers continue to publicly advocate administrative restructuring, there is no formal cabinet decision to create new provinces or administrative units.
Sources said that any movement towards a formal proposal would ultimately require consultations among coalition partners and other political stakeholders before the matter could be placed before the cabinet and subsequently parliament.
Originally published in The News
