LAHORE – Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said creating new administrative units in Punjab and Sindh would not undermine the identity of their people.
Addressing a ceremony in Lahore on Saturday, Mr Naqvi said Pakistan needed to “reset” its system to address existing shortcomings and improve governance and public service delivery.
He clarified that the proposed reset was not intended to change any government or political party, but to remove weaknesses from the existing system.
The minister said any restructuring of administrative boundaries must be carried out within the Constitution and the law, and through political consensus. Such decisions, he added, should reflect the will of the people rather than the preferences of political parties or individuals.
He said population growth and changing public needs had made administrative reforms necessary, arguing that large populations could not be governed effectively from a single city.
Mr Naqvi also called for greater devolution of authority to the grassroots level.
Provincial status for Islamabad
The interior minister proposed provincial status for Islamabad, noting that the federal capital currently did not receive a share under the National Finance Commission award.
He said every citizen should benefit from the NFC system and argued that Islamabad should also be granted provincial status if the creation of new provinces was under consideration.
Mr Naqvi said he would continue to support the reorganisation of administrative boundaries but urged stakeholders not to approach the issue emotionally. Public opinion, he said, should take precedence over political considerations.
He maintained that new units should be created to improve governance rather than on ethnic or communal grounds. The purpose of administrative restructuring, he added, should be to decentralise authority, not merely increase the number of governments.
The minister said existing infrastructure could remain in place while powers were transferred to lower tiers of government within the constitutional framework.
He urged Parliament and the media to facilitate a national debate on the matter, saying no particular map or proposal should be treated as predetermined.
Any decision taken in Pakistan’s broader interest should be accepted by all stakeholders, he added.
