By our correspondent
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has called for the creation of administrative units across Pakistan based on population, saying the existing provincial structure should be reviewed to improve governance.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi on Saturday, Siddiqui said the business community across the country had also raised concerns similar to those highlighted by his party. He said the provincial structure had been abolished after the One Unit system but had not subsequently been restored in a way that addressed the country’s administrative needs.
“We demand that administrative units in Pakistan be created according to population,” Siddiqui said.
He stressed that MQM-P had never called for changes to the geographical boundaries of administrative units, adding that Pakistan was the country’s common homeland and all four provinces were part of it.
“The indivisible entity is our homeland,” he said, adding that the Constitution provided a basis for restructuring provinces and administrative arrangements.
Siddiqui said August 1 marked the beginning of the country’s month of independence and described the occasion as having a direct ideological connection with the creation of Pakistan.
He said the Constitution prescribed a procedure for making changes to the administrative structure, but argued that the existing mechanism was no longer workable. He added that MQM-P had already introduced a constitutional amendment in the National Assembly on the issue.
The MQM-P chief maintained that the provinces currently existing in Pakistan had largely been formed on linguistic lines. He argued that population should instead be a key consideration in determining administrative units.
He reiterated that MQM-P’s demand was aimed at establishing administrative units based on population rather than linguistic identity, saying such a structure could improve governance, public service delivery and political representation.
#Pakistan #Karachi #KhalidMaqboolSiddiqui #MQMP #AdministrativeUnits #AdministrativeReforms #NewProvinces #Governance #PoliticalReforms #PakistanPolitics #Constitution #PopulationBasedUnits #Sindh #KarachiNews #BreakingNews #PakistanNews
