Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has urgently called for a major administrative overhaul in Pakistan, advocating for the creation of new provinces by dividing the existing ones to address pressing governance and service delivery challenges.
In a statement shared on the social media platform X on Friday, the minister argued that the nation’s growing population and expanding administrative needs make a comprehensive reorganization of the provincial structure a national necessity.
Khan put forward a specific proposal to partition each of the four current provinces – Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan – into three distinct administrative units, which would be named North, Central, and South, while still retaining their original provincial identities.
This restructuring, he contended, would bring governance closer to the people and ensure the efficient delivery of public services. According to the minister, smaller jurisdictions would allow key officials like Chief Secretaries and Inspectors General of Police, along with High Courts, to function more effectively.
Acknowledging the history of the issue, Khan noted that the debate on new provinces has been a long-standing topic in political circles but has rarely moved beyond rhetoric. ‘For decades, the debate on new provinces has remained limited to politics and slogans. Now is the time for serious, consultative action to make this vision a reality,’ he stated.
Addressing potential concerns about national fragmentation, the minister affirmed that such a move would strengthen the country. ‘Creating new provinces will not divide Pakistan – it will strengthen national unity, improve economic management, and enhance stability through balanced regional development,’ he said.
The minister concluded by urging policymakers and all relevant stakeholders to work collectively toward forming administratively feasible, people-centered provinces designed to resolve citizens’ problems at their doorstep.