New Provinces Cannot Be Envisioned Without Imran Khan, Says Asad Umar
LAHORE, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Former federal minister and former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Asad Umar has said that any serious discussion about creating new provinces in Pakistan should include former prime minister Imran Khan, arguing that such a major political and constitutional initiative cannot be envisioned without his participation.
Speaking to the media in Lahore on Saturday, Umar said the question of creating additional provinces should be discussed across the country’s assemblies rather than being pursued without broader political consultation.
He argued that Imran Khan, the founder of PTI, should also be included in the process.
According to Umar, there could be no meaningful concept of creating new provinces without Khan’s participation. His remarks come as the issue of administrative restructuring has returned to Pakistan’s political debate.
The discussion has gained momentum after federal ministers and politicians from different parties publicly addressed whether additional provinces or administrative units could improve governance and the delivery of public services.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said earlier this week that new provinces could be created if the constitutional requirements were fulfilled. He said parliament and the relevant provincial assembly would have to reach the necessary agreement, including the constitutionally required majorities.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has also advocated major changes to Pakistan’s administrative structure, arguing that the existing system is struggling to meet the needs of a population of around 260 million. He suggested that Pakistan could either establish additional provinces or develop a substantially stronger district-government system.
Public and political opinion, however, remains divided. Lawmakers interviewed in Lahore have argued that additional provinces could help address problems involving infrastructure, health, education and unemployment, while stressing that new units should be created through constitutional and parliamentary processes rather than on ethnic or religious grounds.
Umar also used his media interaction to comment on Imran Khan’s legal situation. He claimed that Khan would have received relief sooner if the justice system were functioning properly and accused the government of politically cornering PTI. These were Umar’s political assertions and were not independently established by the report.
The former minister also criticised the Punjab government over its treatment of farmers, calling on the provincial administration to apologise to farmers and resign.
Creating a new province in Pakistan is not simply an administrative decision. It requires a constitutional process, making broad parliamentary and provincial political support crucial. The renewed debate is therefore likely to depend not only on arguments over governance but also on whether Pakistan’s major political forces can reach a workable consensus.
