Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Sunday called for a national dialogue to develop a consensus-based framework for the creation of new provinces, arguing that Pakistan’s existing administrative structure no longer reflects the country’s growing population and governance needs.
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Speaking at a press conference in Karachi alongside senior party leaders Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal, Siddiqui urged political parties and other stakeholders to move beyond partisan differences and hold an inclusive discussion on administrative reforms.
He said MQM-P was ready to engage with political parties and other stakeholders to formulate a framework for establishing new provinces in areas where they were required.
MQM-P seeks administrative restructuring
Siddiqui argued that Pakistan’s existing provinces were originally created largely around linguistic considerations but had since developed into extremely large administrative units.
He questioned why successive governments had continued creating new districts as populations increased but had avoided a broader discussion on restructuring provincial boundaries.
“The effects of not creating new provinces should also be discussed,” he said, maintaining that administrative boundaries should take population growth and governance requirements into account.
He particularly highlighted Sindh as one of the regions where demands for additional administrative units had become more prominent.
The MQM-P chairman rejected the argument that demanding new provinces was inherently controversial. He pointed out that the Constitution provides a legal mechanism for the creation of new provinces.
Siddiqui also referred to the 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying MQM-P had supported the reforms because of its objective of strengthening democracy and ensuring that its benefits reached people across the country.
However, he argued that decentralisation could not achieve its full potential without strengthening administrative structures.
MQM-P constitutional bill pending
Siddiqui said MQM-P had already introduced a constitutional bill concerning the creation of new provinces, which remains before a parliamentary standing committee.
He recalled that the party had previously sought judicial intervention after progress on the matter stalled.
The MQM-P chairman said his party would continue supporting demands for new provinces from different regions and would remain open to dialogue with all political parties.
He also indicated that MQM-P could approach the Supreme Court again if constitutional and legal obligations concerning the matter were not fulfilled.
Mustafa Kamal rejects ethnic angle
Mustafa Kamal said the creation of additional administrative units should not be viewed as an attempt to target any ethnic group, including Sindhis.
He argued that the objective was to improve governance, representation and accountability by bringing administrative decision-making closer to citizens.
According to Kamal, a decentralised structure could provide people with greater influence over governance and allow communities to hold their representatives accountable more effectively.
Dr Farooq Sattar also supported the proposal, saying additional administrative units had become necessary for Pakistan’s stability and cohesion.
He maintained that bringing government closer to citizens could increase public participation, improve service delivery and allow local leadership to emerge from the communities it represents.
Debate intensifies after Mohsin Naqvi remarks
The MQM-P demand comes amid renewed debate over administrative restructuring following remarks by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi last month.
Naqvi had argued that Pakistan’s governance structure had deteriorated and required restructuring to address growing administrative challenges.
However, he later clarified his position, saying he was part of the government and would not issue a “charge sheet” against his own administration.
Speaking to Local media, Naqvi said the existing system would continue and complete its constitutional term. He explained that his reference to a “collapsed” governance structure concerned the gradual erosion of administrative and institutional capacity over several decades rather than the performance of the current government.
Government remains cautious
The proposal has received mixed reactions from political parties.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which governs Sindh and is a key coalition partner of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has strongly opposed the creation of new provinces.
Senior government figures, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, have also stopped short of supporting the proposal.
Rana Sanaullah recently said the government had not formulated any plan to create new provinces.
Speaking on Local media programme Naya Pakistan, he said different proposals were being discussed publicly, with some people calling for 12 provinces, others suggesting 20 and some proposing even more.
Sanaullah said Mustafa Kamal’s proposal was primarily focused on Karachi and claimed that the PML-N leadership had not recently discussed the matter.
He also questioned whether there was widespread public support for creating new provinces, saying that, apart from the demand for a Hazara province, there was limited evidence of a broader grassroots movement for provincial reorganisation.
Some parties back new provinces
The proposal has nevertheless received support from some political quarters.
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) President Abdul Aleem Khan backed the creation of new provinces, describing the issue as a national matter that should not be sacrificed for political considerations.
He also supported demands for the creation of South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces, saying calls for additional administrative units were emerging from different parts of Pakistan.
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also endorsed the idea, saying Pakistan needed additional administrative units.
Gohar, however, stressed that any decision to create new provinces must be based on broad political consensus and implemented through the constitutional process, including the required two-thirds majority in the relevant assemblies.
The growing debate is likely to remain politically sensitive, particularly in Sindh, where questions surrounding administrative restructuring, provincial boundaries and Karachi’s governance have historically generated strong political reactions.
