Pakistan's new provinces debate gains momentum amid push for political consensus

Lahore: The debate over the creation of new provinces in Pakistan has moved to centre stage amid reports that influential quarters favour restructuring the country's administrative setup and efforts to bring major political stakeholders on board in the name of better governance.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is widely seen as close to the country's military establishment, has reignited the debate over the creation of new provinces or administrative units.

A few days ago, he floated the idea of holding a referendum to gauge public opinion on the contentious issue, saying the exercise could settle the debate once and for all.


Read more: Political differences should never run into animosity, says Nawaz Sharif amid acrimony with PPP

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has strongly opposed any division of Sindh and remains unwilling to budge from its position.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is treading cautiously, with some of its leaders backing the creation of new provinces while the party has yet to formulate a formal position. It has said it will announce its position when the matter comes before Parliament.

The PML-N and PPP are coalition partners in the federal government.

The issue has also fuelled speculation about a possible understanding between the government and the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, including the possibility of relief for its incarcerated founder, former prime minister Imran Khan, in return for the party's support.

PML-N leader and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has publicly speculated that the establishment could offer relief to Khan in return for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf support for the proposed constitutional changes.

Read more: Pak government holds talks with Imran Khan's party to defuse tensions ahead of long march to Islamabad

Several smaller parties have also expressed support for the creation of new provinces or administrative units.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has renewed its demand for new administrative units in Sindh, while Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has called for new provinces to be considered in the national interest and through consultation.

The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has also backed the idea on administrative grounds, while Jamaat-i-Islami has said the creation of new provinces and the strengthening of local governments should be considered together.

A cabinet member in the Shehbaz Sharif government said on Sunday that the creation of new provinces or administrative units would not be an easy task as the PPP remained opposed to the division of Sindh and the PML-N had yet to formulate a clear position.

"There needs to be consensus among all major political parties on the issue. At the moment, there is no such consensus," he said, adding that the matter should be brought before Parliament and decided in accordance with the Constitution.

Under Article 239 of the Constitution, any constitutional amendment altering the limits of a province requires a two-thirds majority of the total membership of each house of Parliament as well as approval by a two-thirds majority of the total membership of the affected provincial assembly.

A few days ago, Naqvi also reportedly conveyed an "important message" from powerful quarters on the issue to PPP President Asif Ali Zardari.

Zardari on Saturday met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The two leaders agreed to strictly adhere to the constitutional provisions governing the creation of new provinces or administrative units.

They also agreed that any proposed referendum on the contentious issue would require parliamentary approval, a senior government official told PTI.

The official said Zardari made it clear that the PPP's position remained firmly aligned with a resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly opposing the creation of new provinces in the province.

The two leaders also agreed that Parliament could not be bypassed either in deciding whether a referendum should be held or in determining the questions to be put before the public on the issue, the official added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently argued that Pakistan could have as many as 12 provinces if their creation was determined by administrative requirements rather than linguistic, ethnic or political considerations.

"Pakistan's growing population necessitated smaller administrative units that could deliver public services more efficiently," Khawaja Asif said.

His remarks were widely interpreted as a possible indication that the PML-N might eventually align itself with the proposal for creating new provinces.

Former federal information minister Muhammad Ali Durrani has also launched a campaign for the restoration of Bahawalpur province and the creation of 11 other smaller administrative units and provinces across the country.

Durrani, a long-time advocate of Bahawalpur province, has said the existing four-province system has failed to adequately address people's needs and that smaller provinces would improve governance and ensure a fairer distribution of resources.