The planning minister calls for a national debate on administrative reforms, while the prime minister’s aide says no formal decision or federal committee has been approved.
WEB DESK: Federal Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal has proposed creating 12 to 15 new provinces in Pakistan, calling for a national and political debate on restructuring the country’s administrative system.
Iqbal has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to constitute a committee through the law ministry to examine administrative reforms and determine what changes could be made to Pakistan’s existing provincial structure.
However, a senior aide to the prime minister said no formal decision had been taken to create new provinces and that no federal committee had yet been established.
Iqbal Calls for Administrative Restructuring
Speaking to The News, Iqbal said Pakistan’s four provinces had become increasingly centralised over the years, which he argued had affected the delivery of essential services such as healthcare and education.
“I would say we need 12-15 new provinces,” Iqbal said, proposing that the four existing provinces could each be divided into three.
He stressed that any such restructuring would require an equitable formula to prevent major changes in political representation, particularly in the Senate.
Iqbal said political consensus would ultimately be necessary before new provinces could be created.
No Formal Decision Yet
Despite Iqbal’s proposal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coordinator, Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, said there was currently no formal federal process underway.
He told The News that no committee had been created at the federal level and that there was no official discussion on creating new provinces or administrative units.
According to Khan, even if new provinces were eventually created, they would be intended for the next election cycle.
The difference between the minister’s proposal and the prime minister’s aide’s comments means the proposal remains at the discussion stage rather than being an approved government policy.
Debate Over New Provinces Returns
The proposal comes as Pakistan’s long-running debate over its administrative structure has resurfaced.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi raised the issue in July, arguing that the existing governance structure was no longer delivering effectively. A day later, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also called for a serious discussion about whether Pakistan’s four-province structure remains suitable for the country’s much larger population.
Pakistan currently has four provinces, two autonomous territories and one federal capital territory.
The debate has generated strong reactions, particularly in Sindh, where nationalist parties have opposed proposals that could result in the province being divided.
Since August 12, Sindh nationalist groups have held demonstrations against any move to split the province.
Could Smaller Provinces Improve Governance?
Supporters of administrative restructuring argue that smaller provinces could bring government closer to citizens and improve access to public services.
However, experts say the relationship between smaller administrative units and better governance is not straightforward.
Umair Javed, who teaches politics and sociology at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, said academic evidence on the issue was inconclusive, although some research suggests smaller units can improve access to decision-making.
He cautioned that decentralisation without stronger accountability could also result in elite capture.
This means the debate is not only about the number of provinces but also about how political, administrative and financial authority should be distributed.
South Punjab and Hazara Proposals
Calls for additional provinces are not new in Pakistan.
Proposals for a separate South Punjab province and a Hazara province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been discussed for years.
In 2020, the federal government established a civil secretariat for South Punjab in Multan, involving the Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions. The arrangement was widely viewed as a step toward greater administrative autonomy for the region.
The latest proposal, however, would be significantly broader, potentially dividing each of Pakistan’s four provinces into three smaller provinces.
Financial Cost Could Be Significant
Creating new provinces would require substantial administrative and financial restructuring.
Each new province would need its own political and bureaucratic institutions, including a chief minister’s office, provincial assembly and high court. Government departments and administrative structures would also need to be established.
Experts have warned that duplicating provincial institutions could impose significant costs on an economy already facing fiscal constraints.
A restructuring would also raise difficult questions about the distribution of water, land, natural resources and federal funds.
Water allocation could become particularly sensitive because Pakistan’s provinces currently have established shares under the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord.
Political Consensus Remains Key
Iqbal has acknowledged that creating new provinces cannot be achieved without political agreement among the major stakeholders.
The issue is therefore likely to remain politically sensitive, particularly because changing provincial boundaries could affect electoral representation, Senate seats, resource distribution and the political influence of major parties.
For now, the proposal remains a call for discussion rather than an approved government plan.
The next significant step would be whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif agrees to establish a committee to formally examine administrative reforms and whether political parties can reach consensus on any restructuring.
