Political leaders and experts discuss constitutional requirements, financial resources, administrative reforms and the need to strengthen local governments before creating new provinces.

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: Editor-in-Chief Pakistan Group of Newspapers and Chairman Roze News SK Niazi, while speaking in his renowned talk show Sachi Baat, said new provinces would be established sooner or later and could help reduce administrative expenses and improve governance. He stressed that more provinces were needed to address public problems, particularly poverty and corruption. He also highlighted weaknesses in tax collection, saying better supervision, transparency and action against tax evasion could significantly increase revenue. He referred to reports of political changes in different provinces and discussed Khawaja Asif’s experience in holding important ministerial positions.

Former Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad said the federal government should clarify its position on the establishment of new provinces. He supported smaller administrative units, arguing that they could improve service delivery, accelerate development and make public concerns more accessible to authorities. However, he said constitutional amendments, including changes to Article 1, would be required and the process could not be completed immediately. He also called for empowering local governments with adequate resources and highlighted discussions about possible political changes in Punjab and other provinces.

PPP MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said strengthening local governments should be prioritised before creating new provinces. He stressed that any decision must consider administrative arrangements, financial resources and the distribution of revenue. He called for parliamentary debate and cautioned against making decisions in haste. Baig also said the four provinces had agreed to provide Rs1,078 billion to the federation over three years for national security and defence requirements.
He urged the government to expand the tax net to include agricultural income, real estate and construction, noting that Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio was around 8 to 9 per cent and needed to increase. He also called for effective use of collected revenue, investment opportunities within Pakistan and uniform action against corruption across all provinces.

PTI leader Azhar Siddique said constitutional, administrative and financial matters must be settled before establishing new provinces. Referring to Article 239, he stressed the need for political consensus and a clear agenda. He warned that creating smaller provinces alone would not resolve governance problems without proper resource distribution and administrative planning.
Siddique called for constitutional protection of local governments, regular elections and the transfer of adequate powers and resources to grassroots institutions. He said local government reforms should be implemented first, while new provinces could be considered if the existing system failed to address public needs. He also raised concerns about tax collection, circular debt, corruption, political instability and the need for accountability. Referring to the PTI founder, he said attempts to meet him had remained unsuccessful and raised concerns about access to medical treatment and meetings.

Former Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani supported the establishment of new provinces, particularly Bahawalpur, and called for removing legal obstacles to administrative reforms. He said smaller administrative units and an effective local government system could improve governance and public service delivery. Durrani urged political parties to build consensus and questioned the existing provincial structure, describing it as an administrative arrangement inherited from British rule. He said influential feudal elements continued to protect the system and stressed the importance of public participation in bringing meaningful change.