ISLAMABAD: A high-level national debate hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) brought together political leaders, policymakers, technocrats and civil society representatives to discuss how Pakistan can improve governance and public service delivery.
The debate, titled “Should Pakistan Create More Administrative Units?”, focused on several reform options, including new provinces, stronger local governments, fiscal devolution, institutional reform and better alignment of government structures with citizens’ needs.
Participants from PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PTI, Jamaat-i-Islami and JUI-F presented different views on the country’s administrative structure. While some backed new provinces or smaller administrative units, others called for empowering existing local governments. Several speakers argued that both approaches should be considered together.
Speakers Call for Stronger Local Governments
A key theme throughout the debate was the need to bring political, administrative and financial authority closer to citizens.
Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal said administrative restructuring should ultimately improve public services and reduce citizens’ sense of exclusion.
He said smaller administrative units could bring government closer to the people. However, he stressed that local governments would remain essential regardless of the number of provinces. He also said public support should underpin any proposal to create new provinces.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said citizens often approach elected representatives with basic service delivery complaints involving roads, streets and sewerage.
He argued that Pakistan needs effective local governments with sufficient financial resources. Malik also proposed holding national, provincial and local government elections simultaneously for uniform terms. He called for constitutional protection for local bodies against premature dissolution.
Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry said the debate on new provinces must follow constitutional procedures and rely on evidence.
He called for detailed assessments of the revenue base, expenditure requirements and long-term financial sustainability of every proposed province. He also supported political, administrative and financial devolution to the grassroots.
PPP Leaders Highlight Fiscal and Constitutional Concerns
PPP leader and former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the debate over administrative restructuring had continued for years.
He warned that reforms should not increase tensions between provinces and regions over the distribution of resources. Kaira noted that the 18th Constitutional Amendment increased the provincial share of the divisible pool from 46 to 57 percent.
However, he argued that provinces had not transferred enough of their devolved powers and resources to local governments.
Former MNA Nadeem Afzal Chan called for political and state institutions to develop a consensus-based reform agenda.
He linked administrative restructuring with judicial and electoral reforms, intra-party democracy and the rule of law. Chan said policymakers should keep any restructuring within the constitutional framework.
Jamaat-i-Islami Naib Ameer Liaqat Baloch said policymakers should consider new provinces and stronger local governments alongside fiscal and constitutional reforms.
He also called for more effective use of the Council of Common Interests to resolve disputes between the federation and provinces, particularly those involving resources and water.
Asad Umar Calls for Three-Tier NFC
Former federal minister Asad Umar identified declining public trust in state institutions and excessive centralisation as major governance challenges.
He proposed a three-tier National Finance Commission (NFC) system under which the federal, provincial and local governments would receive resources according to a defined formula.
Umar said Pakistan should consider new provinces where there is strong public demand. He also urged policymakers to assess the economic case for larger or smaller provinces through evidence rather than assumptions.
Former Lahore mayor Mian Amer Mahmood also supported an evidence-based approach to new provinces.
He said the objective should be better public welfare and easier access to services rather than territorial division for its own sake. Mahmood called for stronger accountability of elected representatives, stronger political parties and greater devolution from provinces to local governments.
Focus Shifts From Provinces to Devolution
Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Commerce Rana Ihsan Afzal said the debate should go beyond the number of provinces and focus on vertical devolution.
He called for financially autonomous and empowered local governments with continuity in their operations.
Drawing a comparison with China, he said local governments should have stronger links with economic performance, investment, exports and local development. He also called for better coordination between federal and provincial development spending.
PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja argued that Pakistan already has divisions, districts and tehsils that need greater powers.
He said even a division of Punjab into three provinces would leave each new province larger in population than many European countries. Raja called for clearly defined constitutional, administrative, political and financial powers for local governments.
He also supported stronger constitutional protection for Provincial Finance Commission arrangements. Raja said any change to provincial boundaries must follow the procedure under Article 239 of the Constitution and cannot be replaced by a referendum.
MQM-P leader and MNA Aasia Ishaque supported smaller provinces as a way to improve administration but opposed dividing provinces along linguistic or ethnic lines.
She called for smaller administrative units alongside a strong local government system with clearly defined powers under Article 140-A of the Constitution.
Calls for Political Consensus
Former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Noor Alam Khan said Pakistan needs comprehensive governance reforms before and alongside any creation of new provinces.
He stressed that policymakers must follow Article 239 and secure the required two-thirds parliamentary majority for constitutional changes involving provincial boundaries.
Economist and political analyst Dr Farrukh Saleem opposed creating a large number of additional provinces without first addressing institutional weaknesses.
He argued that Pakistan’s core challenge lies in public expenditure and governance rather than tax collection alone.
Senior journalist and analyst Muhammad Mallick said structural changes would have limited impact without changes in institutional behaviour and political culture.
He described institutional capacity as one of Pakistan’s major governance challenges and argued that administrative restructuring alone could not resolve systemic failures.
Former federal minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry said political consensus should precede any major administrative restructuring.
He proposed retaining existing province names even if authorities subdivide them into smaller units. He also called for political dialogue and normalisation among political forces before pursuing major structural reforms.
Seraiki Province Debate
Prominent advocate for a separate Seraiki province Zahoor Dhareeja argued that a new province could address governance, representation, employment and identity-related concerns in the region.
He said a separate province could create additional opportunities through dedicated quotas in civil services and educational institutions while addressing the region’s longstanding development gap.
Former federal minister and former adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif called for broad political consensus before creating new provinces.
He proposed establishing a national commission comprising parliamentary representatives and members of political parties. The commission, he said, should consult all stakeholders before making recommendations.
SDPI Calls for Evidence-Based Reform
In his concluding remarks, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, said the debate demonstrated the importance of bringing different governance options into a common policy discussion.
He said participants offered diverse views on new provinces and administrative units. At the same time, they identified strong local governments, effective fiscal devolution and improved service delivery as key elements of future governance reform.
Suleri said the discussion should lead to further deliberation and evidence-based policymaking rather than reduce the issue to a single choice between creating new provinces and retaining the existing structure.
Others who spoke at the debate included Dr Khaqan Hassan Najeeb, former adviser at the Ministry of Finance; Muhammad Ali Durrani, former federal minister; and Haroun ur Rashid, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
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