Khawaja Asif calls new administrative units a national issue

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the creation of new provinces or administrative units as a national issue, saying it should not face opposition

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the creation of new provinces or administrative units as a national issue, saying it should not face opposition from any quarter.

Speaking at Parliament House, Asif said he currently had no information about any specific proposal concerning new administrative units.

He said establishing an independent governing institution in Islamabad could be a positive step. He added that it could be called an assembly, provincial government or capital government, similar to arrangements in several capitals around the world.

Asif said he was unaware of any discussion on the matter within his party. He also said he did not know whether the prime minister had held any meeting regarding the proposal.

The defence minister said that if such an arrangement was introduced at the federal level, provinces should also be open to considering similar administrative structures. He said there should be no hesitation in exploring such options.

Citing Afghanistan, Asif said the country had previously been divided into fewer provinces but now has around 34 to 35. He recalled that former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani had told him that the change had improved public service delivery.

Asif stressed that the matter should be treated as a national issue. He said any such decision could strengthen both the federation and the provinces.

On speculation about the Pakistan Peoples Party’s position, he said no assumptions could be made at this stage.

He suggested using the term “administrative unit” instead of “province”, saying the word province could create confusion among people.

Asif said the Sindh government had the right to take its own position on the issue. However, he maintained that political interests of any party should not be the basis for the decision.

He said Pakistan needed a better service delivery system that could ensure citizens receive essential services at the lowest administrative level.