Khawaja Asif backs creation of 12 provinces

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has supported the creation of new provinces in Pakistan, saying the country could have as many as 12 administrative units to improve governance and public service delivery.

Speaking to reporters in Sialkot on Sunday, Asif stressed that any new provinces should be formed on administrative grounds rather than ethnic, linguistic or political considerations.

He said the proposal for creating additional provinces had been under discussion for around two months, with different views emerging from various parts of the country.

“If there is a proposal for 12 provinces, then make it 12, but they should not be created on the basis of language, ethnicity or political interests,” he said.

The defence minister argued that Pakistan’s growing population required smaller administrative units to ensure effective governance and better access to public services. He said concentrating authority in provincial capitals such as Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar had limited the transfer of power to local communities.

Asif called for greater administrative and financial autonomy for smaller units, saying provincial governments continued to exercise significant control over resources transferred by the federal government.

He maintained that funds allocated by the Centre were ultimately meant to support local government institutions. However, these institutions remained dependent on provincial authorities for financial resources and decision-making.

The minister also urged political leaders to reconsider their approach to power, saying elected representatives should treat authority as a public trust rather than something to be concentrated in their own hands.

Referring to Pakistan’s administrative history, he recalled the One Unit scheme, under which the country’s provinces were merged into a single administrative unit before the arrangement was later reversed.

He also cited Afghanistan’s administrative structure as an example of expanding provincial units to improve governance, noting that the number of its provinces had increased from around eight or 10 to more than 30.

Proposal for 12 provinces

Asif’s remarks come amid reports that a proposal to reorganise Pakistan into 12 provinces is being considered alongside preparations for a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment.

Under the reported plan, Punjab could be divided into four provinces, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan could each have three. Sindh could be reorganised into two provinces.

Sources familiar with the proposal have indicated that the constitutional amendment could be taken up during the first half of 2027, with preliminary work potentially beginning in the first quarter.

A nationwide referendum has also been discussed as part of the proposed process.

However, no final decision has been made on the proposed provincial boundaries, administrative arrangements or constitutional changes.

The proposed restructuring is intended to decentralise authority, improve administrative efficiency and ensure a more balanced distribution of development resources across the country.