The Interior Minister for Pakistan, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, said that the creation of more provinces in Pakistan will lead it towards stability and development.
In a meeting with the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Chaudhry Salik Hussain and his party’s chief organiser, Dr Muhammad Amjad, the Interior Minister reiterated that the creation of more provinces is a basic need for the country right now.
He said that adding more provinces to the map of Pakistan will lead it towards stability and development.
Mohsin Naqvi argued that the country’s existing administrative structure is no longer suited to its growing population.
The meeting focused on the country’s political situation, the creation of new provinces and administrative units, and the possibility of establishing a provincial assembly for Islamabad.
Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan’s population had increased several-fold while its administrative structure had largely remained unchanged. He argued that the existing system made it increasingly difficult to provide effective public services and respond promptly to problems in remote areas.
He described the creation of additional provinces and administrative units as important for the country’s stability, development and prosperity.
The interior minister also said Islamabad should be granted provincial status.
He argued that large sections of the federal capital, including both urban and rural communities, continued to lack basic services.
Under the proposal, Islamabad would have its own provincial assembly, allowing elected representatives to legislate on local issues and oversee development, according to Mr Naqvi.
The proposal would require significant constitutional and administrative changes and would be subject to the relevant political and legal processes.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Dr Muhammad Amjad expressed support for creating additional provinces, including a separate province for Islamabad.
Salik Hussain said that administering provinces with populations running into tens of millions had become increasingly difficult.
He argued that residents of remote areas often had to travel to provincial capitals even for routine government matters.
He said creating smaller administrative units could bring government closer to citizens, improve the distribution of resources and allow authorities to pay greater attention to less-developed areas.
Dr Amjad described the proposal for Islamabad to become a province as being in line with the needs of the capital’s residents.
He said a provincial assembly would give people in the city and surrounding rural areas directly elected representatives to raise local concerns.
The leaders also praised development projects completed in Islamabad under Mohsin Naqvi’s oversight and said provincial status could help accelerate development in the capital.
The proposals come amid a wider debate in Pakistan over administrative reform and the creation of new provinces.
