Residents of Islamabad and Peshawar have backed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi over his strong support for the creation of new provinces.
Islamabadis said that the capital is the centre of the country, with many people coming from other provinces. They believe Islamabad should be made a new province, which would benefit the people. “We fully support Mohsin Naqvi’s stance”, one citizen said.
Another Islamabadi said that this would be a good decision for us. “It should be properly implemented, not just kept on paper for documentation.”
Another citizen said that there are several areas in the capital that need attention, including water-related issues.
People from Peshawar said that new provinces and administrative units can help improve governance and bring public services closer to the people, particularly in remote areas. However, proper infrastructure, funding and administrative arrangements must be planned before creating new units.
Another citizen said that separate funds should also be allocated for the new province.
Earlier, Mohsin Naqvi, describing himself as the “biggest supporter of Islamabad province”, called for the federal capital to receive its share of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
“Islamabad is the only city that does not get a single rupee from the budget of Pakistan,” he insisted, adding that declaring Islamabad a province would give its citizens their rights.
In July, Naqvi had proposed a dialogue among all political parties to bring about reforms to the current governance system, while also calling for new provinces and urgent administrative reforms.