LAHORE – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz reportedly agreed in principle to creating new provinces within Punjab, provided the proposed units come into existence after 2029 general elections, senior journalist and TV host Sohail Warraich claims.
In his recent column, Aik Din Geo Kay Sath host that the party is prepared to support required legislation despite its reservations. It further suggests that proposal to divide Punjab into four provinces gained favour in influential circles, although neither the number nor the boundaries of the proposed units have been finalised.
He said the proposal remains under consideration despite PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s assertion that the debate has reached a “full stop”. The writer claims that legislation is still possible before March 2027, with the actual establishment of the new provinces deferred until after the 2029 elections under the PML-N’s reported condition.
He also linked the timeframe with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to amass political support through development projects ahead of any administrative reorganisation.
The journo also claims that Pakistan Peoples Party is having no objection to new provinces within Punjab while remaining strongly opposed to dividing Sindh. Bilawal’s remarks are party’s resistance to Sindh’s proposed reorganisation. However, he claims that some PPP figures favour negotiating a compromise with powerful quarters.
One arrangement discussed, according to him, would place Karachi and Gwadar under federal administration, alongside Islamabad, while allowing Karachi to remain Sindh’s capital. It also mentioned a proposal to divide the rest of Sindh into two units, each containing urban centres and less-developed areas.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is supportive of new provinces but questions whether it would back legislation introduced under the current political arrangement. Some members of Khan’s party’s parliamentary leadership could favour cooperation in exchange for political concessions.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman does not consider the present moment suitable for creating new provinces. That position is presented as an objection to the timing of the exercise, rather than a categorical rejection of new provinces in principle.
New Provinces in Pakistan: Who will gain the most, Public or the Powerful?
