National debate on new provinces calls for administrative reforms and stronger local govts
Political leaders, policymakers and experts on Monday called for comprehensive administrative reforms, stronger local governments and greater devolution of powers to improve governance and public service delivery in Pakistan. The views were expressed during a national debate titled “National Debate on Administrative Restructuring of Pakistan – Creating New Provinces,” organised by the Sanober Institute at Serena Hotel, Islamabad.
The event brought together political representatives and policy stakeholders to examine whether the creation of new provinces or smaller administrative units could address governance challenges, reduce regional disparities and improve citizens’ access to essential public services.
Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal emphasised that smaller administrative units could bring the government closer to the people and make public institutions more responsive to citizens’ needs. He stressed that the effectiveness of governance should be measured by improvements in service delivery rather than simply by the number of provinces. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening local governments, arguing that empowered local institutions would remain essential regardless of any changes to provincial boundaries.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti highlighted the administrative challenges associated with governing geographically vast regions. Referring to Balochistan’s considerable territorial expanse and the difficulties faced by residents of remote areas, he observed that providing effective governance from a single provincial capital remained challenging. Long distances and limited access to healthcare and other essential services, he noted, reinforced the need to examine administrative arrangements that could bring institutions closer to the population. Bugti supported considering the creation of new provinces or administrative units on administrative grounds rather than ethnic or linguistic considerations. He argued that the primary objective of restructuring should be to improve governance, facilitate public access to state institutions and ensure more effective delivery of essential services.
