ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said Pakistan should create new administrative units only with the support of the people. He also described a system reset as the need of the hour.
“Reset does not mean breaking down the system. Reset means making wrongs right,” he said.
Naqvi clarified that his earlier remarks about the system’s collapse did not target any particular political party.
“If a company does not work, deliberations are held on how to make it work,” he added.
The interior minister said the government would move ahead with new administrative units only if the people of Pakistan supported the idea.
Debate Over New Provinces
Naqvi’s remarks come amid a growing debate over Pakistan’s governance structure. The ruling allies, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), appear divided over proposals to create new provinces or administrative units.
The debate began after Naqvi’s July remarks, when he described the existing system as “collapsed” and proposed new administrative units to improve governance.
On Saturday, he said Pakistan needed to review its administrative system and fix its longstanding weaknesses.
“The administrative structure has lost its efficiency,” he said. He added that the purpose of a reset was to remove flaws and improve results for citizens.
Reforms Must Follow the Constitution
Naqvi said Pakistan had produced many plans over the past 79 years, but those plans had not delivered the desired results to the public.
He stressed that reforms must remain within the Constitution and the law. Political consensus would also be necessary.
According to Naqvi, neither a political party nor an individual should decide the future administrative structure alone.
“The decision on establishing new administrative units should be made according to the will of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
He added that authorities should create new units if the public supported them. Otherwise, they should leave the existing structure unchanged.
Naqvi Backs Islamabad Province
Naqvi also reiterated his support for making Islamabad a province.
He argued that the federal capital needed a stronger fiscal position. According to the minister, Islamabad does not receive the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and does not receive a share of the country’s overall budget.
“If a province is to be made, Islamabad is such a case that we should all say yes to it,” he said.
Naqvi also said his position would not change if he left office.
“Whether I remain in this job or not, I will not back down from this,” he said.
Population and Governance Concerns
Naqvi questioned whether one bureaucrat could effectively make decisions for populations of 70 million or 140 million people.
He argued that such a large system could not be managed effectively from a single city.
The minister also warned that a funding system based heavily on population could create incentives for inaccurate population figures.
No Ethnicity-Based Provinces
The interior minister stressed that new administrative units should not divide people along ethnic or community lines.
He said the creation of southern or northern Punjab would not end Punjabi identity. Similarly, creating new administrative units in Sindh would not take away Sindhi identity.
“Quaid-i-Azam had made it clear that we are all Pakistanis,” he said.
Naqvi added that Pakistani identity should come before ethnic identities such as Baloch, Pashtun, Sindhi, Bengali or Punjabi.
He also clarified that administrative division should not aim to increase the number of governments. Instead, the goal should be to improve governance.
“The existing infrastructure will remain in place; only powers will be transferred to the lower level,” he added.
Naqvi called on parliament and the media to contribute to the national debate.
He also said authorities should not prepare maps or plans for new administrative units in advance. No proposal, he stressed, should become predetermined.
PPP Rejects Proposed Changes
The Pakistan Peoples Party strongly criticized the federal minister’s latest remarks.
The party described the statements about new administrative units as “unconstitutional interference” in Sindh’s constitutional status.
The development came during a PPP meeting chaired by Sindh chapter President Nisar Khuhro.
The meeting strongly condemned the remarks despite a resolution recently passed by the Sindh Assembly.
On Thursday, the provincial assembly rejected any proposal, plan or constitutional arrangement aimed at dividing Sindh, changing its territorial boundaries or creating new administrative units.
The Khuhro-led meeting also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take notice of the ministers’ statements.
Sindh Says Administrative Reform Is Different
Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said administrative reforms and the reorganisation of provinces were two different matters.
“Provinces are not merely administrative units; they have their history, identity, culture and language,” Shah said.
He argued that the government could bring administrative powers closer to citizens without changing provincial boundaries.
According to Shah, authorities can create new districts, divisions and tehsils. They can also strengthen local government institutions under the existing Constitution.
Referring to the Sindh Assembly’s resolution, Shah said the people of Sindh had already expressed a clear and unanimous position on their land, history and identity.
“The question of Sindh’s division is not merely an administrative proposal,” he said.
Shah said the provincial government was willing to discuss positive proposals for administrative reforms. However, he stressed that there would be “no compromise on the unity of Sindh”.
He also urged Naqvi to understand the sensitivity and importance of the issue.
