Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticized the PPP and PTI while advocating stronger local governments and administrative units to improve governance.
Federal Defence Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Khawaja Asif has sharply criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party, saying its political standing has declined and that its current leadership has failed to restore the party’s former position.
Speaking in a television program, Asif said former president Asif Ali Zardari remained a respected political figure but argued that Zardari and the PPP’s current leadership had not succeeded in reviving the party’s previous political standing.
He said the PPP had lost political credibility in Sindh over roughly the past 15 years and suggested that the debate over provinces and administrative units had been brought before the Sindh Assembly as part of the party’s political survival strategy.
Asif also described Pakistan’s existing system as dysfunctional and said improving it was the responsibility of the government and political leadership. He called for an effective local government structure and stronger administrative units, arguing that the benefits of democracy should reach the grassroots rather than remain confined to the federal and provincial levels.
He said the 18th Amendment had also provided for the establishment of local governments at the provincial level, but the provision had not been implemented effectively.
On the question of new provinces, Asif said new administrative units could be created without necessarily giving every unit its own assembly or chief minister. He also suggested that the country’s existing divisions could potentially be converted into administrative units.
His comments came amid an intense debate in the Sindh Assembly over new provinces and administrative units. On Sept. 3, the provincial assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting any division of Sindh or changes to its existing boundaries. Opposition members walked out before the resolution was adopted.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said administrative reforms and greater devolution of powers could be discussed, but such reforms should not be linked with the division of Sindh.
Asif also criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political conduct over the past two to three years, saying the party needed to modify its political approach. He criticized the language used on social media and said political parties should engage in serious discussions on national issues.
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