Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says Pakistan needs meaningful devolution while questioning the PPP’s position on creating new provinces and administrative units.
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the devolution of power as inevitable while questioning the Pakistan Peoples Party’s position on proposals to create new provinces and administrative units.
In a post on X, Asif accused the PPP of taking different positions depending on the province under discussion. He said the party supports a separate Saraiki province when the debate relates to Punjab but raises the issue of “Sindhudesh” when proposals for additional provinces or administrative units are discussed more broadly.
https://x.com/KhawajaMAsif/status/2095963246054527080
Asif said he believed there was “something else” behind what he described as the PPP’s “dual policy” and added that he would discuss the matter in greater detail “when the time comes.”
The defence minister also stressed that Pakistanis were “first and foremost” Pakistanis. He said devolution had already been recognised as a constitutional principle under the 18th Amendment but had not been implemented in its true spirit.
Asif argued that the concentration of power had made the existing administrative system outdated and needed to be addressed. He suggested that Pakistan’s 36 divisions could provide a basis for administrative restructuring, while also leaving room for another geographical arrangement.
His comments come as political debate over the creation of additional provinces gains momentum. Various proposals have been discussed publicly, including suggestions for eight provinces and others calling for a significantly larger number of administrative units. However, no formal government proposal has been announced.
The PPP has sought clarity from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the government’s position. PPP Parliamentarians Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said that if the government was serious about creating new provinces, the issue should first be taken up by the federal cabinet.
Bokhari said political parties and other stakeholders would then need to be consulted. He stressed that any such move must comply with the Constitution and that provincial consent would be required for the creation of new federating units.
He also noted that a constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and Senate. The PPP’s position is significant because the PML-N-led government depends on its parliamentary support.
The debate has also drawn opposition to any division of the existing provinces. The Sindh Assembly recently passed a resolution opposing further division of Pakistan’s four provinces.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said there were currently no preparations to create new provinces. He said no bill or resolution had been presented in parliament and maintained that political consultation and consensus would be necessary before any proposal could move forward.
Sanaullah also said there was currently no discussion about dividing the existing provinces, indicating that despite growing political debate, no formal government decision has been taken.
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