Islamabad: The government has not yet made a final decision on whether Pakistan should create new provinces or administrative units or further devolve powers to district and local governments, according to a senior government official.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the ongoing debate was not aimed at any particular province or region, but was intended to explore ways to improve governance and make the country’s administrative system more efficient and accountable to the public.
The official said no decision had yet been taken on whether Pakistan needed additional provinces, new administrative units or greater devolution of powers to district and local governments.
He said the key question was whether the existing administrative system could be improved in a way that ensures better governance and delivers tangible benefits to ordinary citizens.
According to the official, the discussion remains at an early stage and it would be premature to suggest that the government has already settled on a particular model.
Any future administrative restructuring, he said, would primarily be judged on whether it improves governance and provides clear benefits to the public.
The remarks come as political debate over the possible creation of additional provinces or smaller administrative units gains momentum, with federal ministers and political leaders increasingly weighing in on the issue.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi recently supported putting the question before the public, saying any major administrative restructuring should ultimately reflect the will of the people. His remarks triggered a broader debate over new provinces, administrative units and the constitutional procedures required for such changes.
The senior official said the immediate objective was not to determine the number or boundaries of new provinces but to initiate a serious national debate and build consensus on whether the existing administrative structure was adequately serving the public.
He stressed that the debate should focus on public interest rather than political or regional considerations.
The official also indicated that the government had not formally adopted any specific proposal. Creating new provinces would involve constitutional requirements, including procedures governing changes to provincial boundaries, while administrative restructuring and devolution could take different forms without necessarily altering the country’s constitutional map.
Asked about the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s position, the official said the party would ultimately support whatever course was considered to be in the national interest.
When asked about the possible positions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, he said the party would do what was in Pakistan’s interest.
However, the official gave no indication that the PML-N leadership had already reached a consensus on the question of new provinces or administrative units.
Asked about President Asif Ali Zardari’s possible role in the debate, the official declined to speculate, saying the question should be put to Zardari himself.
