ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of a “double standard” over the debate on new provinces, questioning its position on a proposed Saraiki province while it opposes broader administrative restructuring involving Sindh.
In a post on X, Asif said the PPP had supported or shown a “soft corner” for the demand for a Saraiki province whenever the issue was raised in Punjab.
However, he said that when discussions turn to creating multiple provinces or administrative units beyond the existing four, the issue of Sindhudesh emerges.
Asif said he believed there was “something else” behind what he described as the PPP’s contradictory position, adding that he would explain his view “at some point”.
The defence minister also stressed that “we are Pakistanis, first and last”.
Asif calls for greater devolution
Asif called for genuine implementation of the devolution principle established under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying it had not been adequately respected in practice.
He argued that the existing governance structure had become outdated because powers remained concentrated at higher levels.
According to Asif, authority should be transferred to lower levels of government to strengthen democracy at the grassroots and allow people to benefit directly from greater administrative empowerment.
He suggested that Pakistan could use its existing 36 divisions as the basis for a new administrative arrangement or develop another geographical structure.
Asif described the devolution of power as “inevitable”.
Mohsin Naqvi reignites provinces debate
The defence minister’s remarks come amid a renewed national debate over whether Pakistan needs additional provinces or administrative units.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reignited the discussion in July, saying the country’s existing governance system had “collapsed” and was no longer capable of addressing Pakistan’s challenges.
Naqvi called for fundamental reforms and said Pakistan should move towards new administrative units, regardless of whether they were called provinces or something else.
He also advocated devolving powers to lower administrative levels and dividing provinces on administrative grounds to improve governance and accelerate development.
Naqvi later stood by his assessment that the system had been “completely destroyed”, clarifying that he was referring to its deterioration over the past 80 years.
The PPP rejected the proposal and urged that the debate over new administrative units should not be taken further. The party also said no concrete restructuring proposal had been presented to it.
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Ahsan Iqbal proposes 12 to 15 provinces
The debate expanded after Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal called for a national discussion on Pakistan’s administrative structure and proposed the creation of 12 to 15 provinces.
Iqbal said a committee on administrative reforms should be formed through the law minister to examine possible changes and initiate a political and national debate.
He stressed that the creation of new provinces would ultimately require political consensus.
Iqbal has also argued that Pakistan’s four provinces have become increasingly centralised, with significant powers remaining concentrated in provincial capitals despite the devolution introduced through the 18th Amendment.
He proposed around 160 empowered district governments across the country, arguing that it was not administratively feasible to effectively govern the whole of Sindh from Karachi, Punjab from Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Peshawar and Balochistan from Quetta.
He warned that demands for new provinces could grow if meaningful devolution to the district level was not achieved.
Provinces or stronger local governments?
The growing debate has brought two related questions to the forefront: whether Pakistan should redraw its provincial boundaries or instead transfer more authority to districts and local governments.
While supporters of administrative restructuring argue that smaller units could improve governance and development, the PPP has opposed any move to divide Sindh.
Asif’s latest comments have added a political dimension to the debate, challenging the PPP’s position while calling for a governance system based on greater devolution and stronger local administration.
