PPP Has Right to Take Position on New Provinces: Khawaja Asif
News Desk
Islamabad: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has the right to express its position on the creation of new provinces, stressing that broader public interests should remain the priority in any decision on administrative restructuring.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, Asif said Pakistan needed an administrative system capable of delivering public services and facilities at the grassroots level.
He said political parties were free to present their views on the creation of new provinces, but political interests should not stand in the way of decisions made in the public interest.
The defence minister proposed that the process of creating new administrative units could begin with the federal capital. He said Islamabad could be developed as an autonomous administrative unit with an elected assembly or a provincial-style government.
Citing international examples, Asif noted that several countries, including India, have separate administrative arrangements for their capitals.
He said establishing such a system in Islamabad could serve as a model for other parts of the country and make the creation of additional administrative units easier to consider.
“There is no hesitation in establishing new provinces,” Asif said, arguing that additional administrative units could strengthen the federation by bringing governance and public services closer to the people.
Referring to Afghanistan, he said the country had expanded the number of its provinces to 34 despite difficult circumstances, suggesting that Pakistan should also remain open to administrative restructuring.
Asif said the debate should focus less on terminology and more on improving governance and public service delivery.
He suggested that the term “administrative unit” could be used instead of “province” to make the proposal more acceptable to stakeholders.
The minister reiterated that any restructuring should ultimately aim to improve governance, facilitate citizens and strengthen service delivery at the grassroots level.
