Rana slams Naqvi’s ‘confusing’ provinces remarks

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, said it was true that former prime minister

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, said it was true that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had instructed party leaders not to respond to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent statements. He added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) strongly disagreed with both the content and tone of Naqvi’s remarks.

Speaking on a television programme, Rana Sanaullah described Mohsin Naqvi’s comments as “meaningless” and lacking context. He said he had listened to Naqvi’s speech but could not understand what message he was trying to convey.

“It appeared that he wanted to make a significant point but failed to explain it properly. Once he made the statement, his subsequent remarks contradicted one another. I simply could not understand what he was saying or why he was saying it,” Rana Sanaullah said.

He stressed that whenever a person makes a public statement, it reflects their personal opinion, adding that it was up to Mohsin Naqvi to clarify the intent behind his remarks and take responsibility for their interpretation.

Responding to Naqvi’s proposal regarding the creation of new administrative units or provinces, Rana Sanaullah said such matters could not be decided merely through public statements.

“You cannot simply talk about new provinces and expect them to come into existence. The Constitution clearly defines the procedure for creating new provinces or administrative units,” he said.

He maintained that the issue should first be debated in Parliament, while the final decision would rest with the leadership of the political parties.

Rana Sanaullah recalled that during the PML-N government in Punjab from 2013 to 2018, the party had formally proposed the creation of new provinces. He said he had personally presented both the resolution and the proposal for establishing a commission to examine the matter.

He explained that a national commission would have to be formed to review all aspects of creating new provinces, including financial resources, administrative arrangements and constitutional requirements.

“The commission would also need to consult on representation in the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and the Senate. This is a highly complex issue that requires serious deliberation by experienced policymakers,” he said.

Rana Sanaullah added that Pakistan could adopt smaller provinces, a stronger local government system, or even both, but such decisions should be made collectively by political parties after thorough consultation