Asif backs creation of up to 12 provinces but warns against carving out units on linguistic, ethnic, political lines

As a debate over the possible creation of new administrative units intensifies in Pakistan, Federal Minister Khawaja Asif has voiced his support for the proposal, but cautioned against dividing the country based on linguistic, ethnic or political lines. Mr Asif, speaking to Geo News, suggested that the current concentration of authority in provincial capitals is hindering the delivery of government services and resources to local communities.

The idea of creating up to 12 new provinces has been under discussion for the past two months, he emphasized, adding that the country's expanding population necessitates smaller administrative units that can effectively deliver public services. Decision-making should not be restricted to provincial capitals like Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar, he argued, advocating for a closer placement of administrative authority to the people.

Asif also questioned the existing distribution of financial resources, stressing that funds allocated by the federal government remain largely under provincial control, rather than reaching local government institutions. Local bodies, he maintained, continue to rely on provincial governments for funding and authority, despite being intended to benefit from these resources.

Referring to past administrative arrangements, including the One Unit scheme, which merged the provinces of West Pakistan into a single unit before its abolition, Mr Asif recalled Afghanistan's experience, noting that its number of provinces grew from around eight or ten to more than thirty. He reinforced his stance at a meeting convened by MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, where the party reiterated its demand for new administrative units in Sindh to ensure the devolution of powers and resources to the grassroots level.

The MQM-P, in a press release, vowed to mobilize its entire organizational network and parliamentary leadership for the upcoming local government elections, promising a "historic win" while renewing its demand for the creation of new administrative units in Sindh. Dr Siddiqui directed party members to actively engage at the neighborhood level ahead of the elections, emphasizing the party's priorities of ending urban Sindh's deprivation, establishing new administrative units, and securing electoral success to strengthen grassroots representation.