ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the creation of new provinces or administrative units is a national issue and should not face opposition from any quarter.
Speaking exclusively to Geo News at Parliament House, Asif said he had no information at present about any specific proposal regarding new administrative units.
Commenting on the proposal to establish a separate assembly or government structure for Islamabad, the defence minister said it would be a positive development to create an independent institution for the federal capital.
“It can be called an assembly, a provincial government or a capital government,” he said, adding that similar arrangements existed in several capitals around the world.
Asif said he was unaware of any discussion on the matter at the party level and also did not know whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had held any meeting regarding the proposal.
He said if such a system was being introduced at the federal level, there should be no hesitation for provinces to consider following a similar model.
Referring to Afghanistan, Asif said the country had previously been divided into fewer provinces but now had around 34 to 35 provinces. He recalled that former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani had told him during a meeting that the administrative changes had improved public service delivery.
‘Administrative units will strengthen federation and provinces’
The defence minister said the issue should be treated as a national matter and should not be opposed by any side.
According to Asif, the creation of administrative units would strengthen both the federation and the provinces.
He said it would be premature to speculate about the Pakistan Peoples Party’s position on the matter, adding that the term “province” could create confusion among people.
“Administrative unit” would be a more appropriate term, he suggested.
Asif acknowledged that the Sindh government had the right to take a position on the issue, but said political interests of any party should not be protected through the process.
He stressed that Pakistan needed a system of service delivery through which citizens could access basic services at the lowest possible level.
His remarks come amid a growing debate over the proposed administrative restructuring of Islamabad, including a proposal for a 27-member Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly.
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