QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday voiced support for creating new provinces in Pakistan, saying any such provinces should be formed on administrative grounds rather than ethnic or linguistic considerations.
Speaking to journalists in Quetta, Bugti said it was not possible to govern the entire province effectively from the provincial capital alone.
He argued that future administrative changes should focus on improving governance and bringing government services closer to the people instead of being based on ethnic or linguistic identities.
Debate over new provinces gains momentum
Bugti’s remarks come as political debate over Pakistan’s administrative structure intensifies, with coalition partners Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) holding differing positions on the creation of new provinces or administrative units.
The debate gained momentum in July after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the existing governance system as having “collapsed” and called for structural reforms, including the creation of new administrative units with greater powers devolved to lower levels.
Naqvi later clarified that his remarks referred to the deterioration of the system over the past 80 years rather than any particular government.
On September 5, the interior minister reiterated his assessment that the system had been “completely destroyed” but again clarified that he was referring to its long-term decline.
Naqvi said any new administrative units should be created according to the wishes of the people, describing the situation as requiring a “reset”.
“Reset does not mean breaking down the system. Reset means making wrongs right,” he said, adding that work on new administrative units would only move forward with public support.
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Security situation also discussed
During his interaction with journalists, Bugti also addressed the country’s security situation, saying Pakistan’s civil and military leadership remained united in its position against terrorism.
He ruled out negotiations with individuals who take up arms against the state, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the state’s policy on terrorism.
The chief minister said terrorism was not a challenge limited to Balochistan or any other single province but a nationwide security issue requiring a collective response.
Proposals for new administrative units
The debate over administrative restructuring has continued to expand in recent weeks.
Earlier, on September 6, Geo News, citing sources, reported that a high-level committee had submitted a draft proposal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a 27-member elected assembly for the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The proposed arrangement would include a chief executive and 27 administrative departments.
Meanwhile, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called for a national debate on Pakistan’s administrative structure and proposed the creation of 12 to 15 provinces.
The growing discussion reflects competing views among political parties over whether Pakistan’s governance challenges should be addressed through new provinces, smaller administrative units or greater devolution of powers.
