Minister supports creation of up to 12 provinces
• Khawaja Asif says new units should be created on administrative grounds, not linguistic, ethnic or political lines • Calls for transfer of powers, resources from provincial capitals to local institutions • MQM-P renews demand for new administrative units; calls for ending ‘deprivation’ of urban Sindh SIALKOT / KARACHI: As a debate around the possible creation of new administrative units rages…
Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed support for the creation of up to 12 new administrative units in Pakistan, but cautioned against dividing the country along linguistic, ethnic or political lines. In an interview with Geo News, Asif argued that the existing concentration of power in provincial capitals was hindering the delivery of government services and resources to local communities.
He suggested that the country could potentially have as many as 12 new provinces if the restructuring focused solely on administrative needs rather than other factors.
Asif emphasized that the country's growing population necessitated smaller administrative units that could more effectively deliver public services. He also questioned the current system of allocating financial resources, asserting that federal funds often remained under the control of provincial administrations rather than being directly transferred to local governments.
The minister urged politicians to shift their mindset towards power, reminding them that their authority ultimately comes from the people and not the other way around.
The Defence Minister referenced Pakistan's past administrative experiments, including the "One Unit" scheme that merged West Pakistan's provinces into a single unit before being abolished. He also drew parallels with Afghanistan, noting that the number of its provinces has increased from around eight or 10 to more than 30.
Meanwhile, the MQM-P party renewed its demand for new administrative units, particularly in Sindh, to ensure the devolution of powers and resources to the grassroots level. The party's high-level meeting, chaired by MQM-P Convener and Federal Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, discussed a strategy to address the grievances of urban Sindh, promote Karachi's development, and prepare for upcoming local government elections.
The party leadership stressed that the creation of new administrative units was crucial for empowering people at the grassroots level and ensuring equitable access to basic municipal services.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
