{
  "id": 2063262,
  "title": "People’s consent must for new provinces: National Party",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/peoples-consent-must-for-new-provinces-national-party",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T03:09:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2023996/peoples-consent-must-for-new-provinces-national-party"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The National Party (NP) has emphasized that any consideration of establishing new provinces should be grounded in the consent of the people, rather than decisions made in secret. Mir Tahir Bizenjo, a central leader and former senator of the NP, stated this during an interview with reporters on Wednesday. He cautioned that dividing provinces into numerous administrative divisions through secretive decisions could lead to significant repercussions. According to Mr. Bizenjo, although reports indicate that prominent political parties and religious leaders have been consulted on the matter, the primary concern lies not in population or the size of a province, but rather in issues such as poor governance, corruption, exploitation, and extravagant rule. Bizenjo reminded that prior to British rule, Sindh was governed by the Talpurs, Balochistan by the Khans, and Punjab by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, whose dominion also extended into parts of present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He pointed out that the Pashtun regions of Balochistan were detached from Afghanistan under the Treaty of Gandamak, a pact imposed on Afghan rulers, and later integrated into what later became known as British Balochistan, alongside certain parts of the Kalat State.",
  "summary": "QUETTA: The National Party (NP) has suggested that any move to create new provinces must be based on the consent of the people rather than decisions taken behind closed doors. “Only the people have the authority to decide whether new provinces should be created,” NP central leader and former senator Mir Tahir Bizenjo said while talking to reporters on Wednesday. He warned that dividing provinces…",
  "key_points": [
    "New provinces should have people's consent, not secret decisions",
    "Consulted parties include political leaders, religious figures",
    "Past governance examples: Talpurs, Khans, Maharaja Ranjit Singh"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The National Party's stance on requiring public consent for new provinces shifts the focus from elite-driven decisions to a more democratic and participatory approach to administrative reforms.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}