New Provinces Issue Crucial to Pakistan Future, Says Rana Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah has stated that the creation of new administrative provinces is an extraordinarily serious matter directly linked to the long-term future and stability of Pakistan. Speaking on a current affairs television program, the veteran politician emphasized that any move toward administrative restructuring requires broad national consensus and careful deliberation rather than politically motivated haste.

Addressing the issue during an interview on ARY News show Bakhabar Savera, Sanaullah highlighted that demands for new administrative divisions—including the long-debated South Punjab and Hazara provinces—frequently re-emerge in public discourse. However, he cautioned that dividing existing federating units demands meticulous constitutional, financial, and legislative evaluation. He noted that while smaller administrative units could theoretically enhance municipal governance and public service delivery, achieving this requires fulfilling complex parliamentary procedures, including a two-thirds majority in parliament and relevant provincial assemblies under Article 239 of the Constitution.

The debate over redrawing provincial boundaries comes at a critical time as Pakistan navigates complex fiscal decentralization, resource allocation under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and governance challenges. Political analysts observe that creating new provinces, particularly within Punjab—which currently holds more than half of the national population and parliamentary seats—would fundamentally alter national electoral dynamics, resource division, and bureaucratic structures across the country.

Sanaullah reaffirmed that any meaningful progress on administrative demarcation would necessitate comprehensive consultations among all major political stakeholders, including government coalition partners and opposition parties. He called on political entities to refrain from using sensitive public grievances for short-term political gains, advocating instead for a dedicated parliamentary consensus to thoroughly assess the economic viability and administrative feasibility of potential new provinces.