Parties back local governments over new provinces

Parties back local governments over new provinces

Mainstream political parties have rejected the idea of creating new provinces and instead called for stronger local governments to improve governance and public service delivery.

The position emerged during a day-long seminar organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), where politicians and independent experts discussed whether Pakistan needs new provinces or additional administrative units.

Representatives of the PML-N, PPP, PTI and JUI opposed the creation of new provinces, while lawmakers from the MQM-P supported the proposal. Most independent experts also favoured transferring greater administrative, political and financial powers to local governments.

Participants argued that Pakistan does not primarily face a shortage of resources. Instead, they said, excessive concentration of authority in provincial capitals prevents public spending from delivering its intended benefits. Several speakers also criticised the bureaucracy for weak governance and poor service delivery.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the existing administrative structure could deliver better results if local governments received adequate powers.

He argued that dividing Punjab into three provinces would still leave each province with around 40 million people and would not adequately address governance problems. Raja called for stronger constitutional safeguards for local governments and said Article 140-A, which provides for local governments, needed clearer and stronger provisions.

Raja also rejected the idea of holding a national referendum on the creation of new provinces, arguing that the Constitution already provides a mechanism for altering provincial boundaries. He further opposed changes to Article 239, which governs constitutional amendments related to provincial boundaries.

Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik said political parties should first hold internal discussions on the issue before pursuing constitutional or legal changes. He also praised the 2001 local government system, saying it offered a stronger framework that should have been developed further.

The seminar came weeks after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described Pakistan’s governance system as having collapsed and called for the creation of new provinces.

PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira warned that the debate could deepen existing political and administrative divisions. He said provincial chief ministers had accumulated significant power and often resisted efforts to establish genuinely strong local governments.

Some participants even suggested removing the provincial tier altogether and maintaining only the federal government and fully empowered local administrative units.