New provinces under serious consideration as 28th Amendment looms

A senior government functionary familiar with the developments said discussions are still at an early stage. The debate could eventually become part of the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.

However, officials acknowledge that turning the proposals into reality would be difficult. Major political parties would need to reach agreement, while constitutional changes would require broad political support.

The discussions are focused on several possible options. These include creating new provinces, establishing additional administrative units or restoring a stronger local government system.

Proposed changes across provinces

One proposal under discussion could place Karachi and Gwadar under federal administrative control. The rest of Sindh would continue as a single province under this option.

Balochistan could also be divided into two provinces. Punjab, meanwhile, could be split into three separate administrative units.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presents a more complicated situation because of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or Fata, merger.

According to the government source, one possible plan could divide KP into Pakhtun and Hazara regions. However, any such proposal would require detailed constitutional and political consideration.

The debate follows Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent call for political parties to discuss the creation of new provinces as part of efforts to address major governance problems.

His proposal received mixed reactions from government officials and legal bodies. The Supreme Court Bar Association supported the idea, while the Pakistan Bar Council stressed that constitutional procedures and national consensus must be followed.

Why new provinces are being discussed

Supporters of new provinces argue that smaller administrative units could improve governance and bring government services closer to citizens.

The government functionary said creating additional provinces could also address problems that emerged after the 18th Constitutional Amendment transferred greater powers to provincial governments.

The argument is that smaller provinces could make administration more manageable. They could also potentially improve development planning and provide greater attention to areas that currently feel politically or economically neglected.

However, opponents and critics may raise concerns about political representation, financial resources, provincial boundaries and the distribution of power.

Creating new provinces would also require constitutional amendments and agreement among key political stakeholders. This makes the process significantly more complicated than simply announcing new administrative boundaries.

Local governments offer another option

The government is also considering strengthening the local government system instead of creating new provinces.

Under this proposal, local governments could receive funds directly from the federal government rather than depending on provincial authorities.

The government source referred to the local government structure introduced during former President Pervez Musharraf’s tenure. He argued that its continuation could have produced a larger group of experienced local representatives.

He acknowledged that rebuilding such an experienced network would now take considerable time.

A stronger local government system could provide another way to address complaints about weak grassroots administration. It could also allow local representatives to deal more directly with issues involving municipal services and community development.

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Political consensus remains the biggest hurdle

The biggest challenge facing the new provinces proposal is likely to be political consensus.

Major constitutional changes cannot easily move forward without support from important political parties and stakeholders. Questions about boundaries, resources and representation could also create strong disagreements.

Legal bodies have already indicated that any changes must follow the Constitution. This means the debate is likely to continue through Parliament and other constitutional forums if the government decides to formally pursue the proposal.

For now, no final decision has been announced on the number or structure of any new provinces. The proposals remain under discussion, and their eventual shape could change significantly.