New provinces a national issue, says Aleem Khan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister and President of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) Abdul Aleem Khan has said the creation of new provinces is a national issue and should not be sacrificed for political interests or expediency.

In a statement, Aleem Khan said people across the country wanted new provinces to be created on an administrative basis. He said the IPP would continue raising its voice for the issue at every forum.

The federal minister said the prevailing circumstances clearly demanded a new working order across the country. He urged politicians to take ownership of the demand for new provinces while fulfilling their responsibilities.

Aleem Khan said political leaders needed to focus on resolving public problems instead of protecting their personal influence and authority.

He stressed that the creation of new provinces was a national matter and should not become a victim of political considerations.

The IPP president said there was nothing wrong with dividing each of the four existing provinces into four administrative units, if this helped improve governance and addressed public issues.

He also expressed support for the creation of South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces.

Aleem Khan said the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party also supported the demand for a Hazara province. He noted that voices were also being raised for new provinces in Punjab and Sindh.

He said demands for a Hazara province had been raised in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly since 2010.

Aleem Khan welcomed the fact that major political parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were now supporting the creation of a Hazara province.

He said the debate over new provinces should be approached as a matter of better administration, public welfare and effective governance rather than narrow political interests.