By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has said Pakistan should consider creating new administrative units to improve governance, stressing that any such reforms should not be based on ethnicity and must have broad political consensus.
The minister also called for dialogue among political parties, civil society and other stakeholders following the recent debate on governance, saying all sides should work together to identify practical measures to strengthen the country’s governance framework.
Meanwhile, an unofficial map widely shared on social media depicts Pakistan’s four provinces being reorganized into 18 administrative units. The map proposes six units in Punjab, four each in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and three in Sindh, while also showing Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as separate administrative entities.
However, no government official has confirmed the authenticity of the map, and there is no indication that it represents an official proposal.
Political parties remain divided on the issue. The Pakistan People’s Party has historically supported the creation of a South Punjab province but opposes dividing Sindh. The Pakistan Muslim League-N and some other parties have backed the idea of a Hazara province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also supported the concept of creating new administrative units but said they should be established on administrative and national-interest grounds rather than ethnic or linguistic lines. He additionally suggested that Karachi and Gwadar should be placed under federal administration.
Malik said the country’s governance challenges reflected weaknesses in administration rather than a failure of the political system. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the government were working hard, echoing recent remarks by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
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