Pakistan'da yeni eyalet planı siyasi mayın tarlasında

Plan for new provinces faces political minefield

CARVING out new provinces appears to be a gigantic task for the government, one for which the incumbent setup seems “unprepared”, and has yet to build consensus among the country’s political forces. Political parties, meanwhile, have urged the government to follow the procedure prescribed in the Constitution for the creation of new administrative units, warning that any attempt to bypass the constitutional process could trigger a severe backlash that the government can ill afford. Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel, while talking to Dawn at Parliament House, confirmed the government’s intention to create new provinces, saying: “First, all political parties will be taken on board.” According to media reports, the plan is to carve out several new provinces, though their exact number remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from seven to 27. Constitutional, legal and political hurdles are expected to pose major challenges, all of which would have to be addressed through political consultation. While nearly all stakeholders agree the federation is too unwieldy, there is no agreement on where the new lines should fall, who should draw them, or whether the government can afford the fight There is also speculation that the government intends to introduce constitutional amendments to bypass a provision requiring the consent of the relevant provincial assembly when a new province is carved out of an existing one. The Constitution also requires a two-thirds majority in parliament for such an amendment. Political experts have speculated that the government may opt for a referendum on the creation of new provinces. However, they point out that even this would require parliamentary approval. Referendum When contacted, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari said the government should first place the issue before the federal cabinet for discussion and then take all political parties into confidence. He said that if the government sought to delete Article 239(4) of the Constitution to bypass the mandatory consent of the existing province from which a new province was to be carved out, Article 1 would also have to be amended. Bukhari said that any constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament, for which the government would need the support of the PPP and other political parties. Responding to concerns among political parties about a possible referendum, Bukhari said: “A referendum is held on matters on which the Constitution is silent. However, there is a proper way prescribed in the Constitution for the creation of new provinces.” He said that even in the case of a referendum, the proposal would first have to be approved by the federal cabinet and then presented before a joint sitting of parliament for approval. The PPP leader said the government had so far not contacted his party for their input on the matter so far. He added that the Prime Minister and other political forces advocating new provinces should first take the political parties into confidence and hold consultations with their leaders. JUI-F Senator and legal expert Kamran Murtaza said the government appeared determined to carve out 27 new provinces “by hook or by crook”. He said the government could first seek constitutional amendments and then move towards holding a referendum through the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “Those who want new provinces will use us (legislators) for making the desired amendments to the Constitution and then the Election Commission to hold a referendum for creating new provinces,” he added. Commission Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said the government should first develop a clear understanding of why additional provinces were necessary, as the creation of new provinces was a highly sensitive and complicated issue. He said any attempt to create provinces through a mechanism not prescribed by the Constitution such as a referendum would undermine the credibility of the entire process. Mehboob proposed the formation of a high-powered State Reorganisation Commission to examine the issue of new provinces, similar to the commission established in India in 1953 to examine the reorganisation of states. He said the Indian commission, which included senior judges of the Supreme Court, conducted an extensive study before submitting recommendations based on economic, political and social considerations, paving the way for the reorganisation of states in 1956. “Such a commission should also be formed in Pakistan, and its recommendations should be awaited before the matter is sent to Parliament,” he said. Mehboob recalled that the country had also witnessed lengthy consultations before the enactment of the 18th Amendment. The president suggested that if the government failed to implement its plan for new provinces, it should instead introduce an empowered local government system across the country. He proposed that local governments be empowered through a constitutional amendment and receive funding directly from the National Finance Commission (NFC), rather than through the existing provincial governments. “This will dilute the controversial and excessive powers of the provinces,” he added. PTI backs S. Punjab province The main opposition PTI has said it would support the government’s plan to create new provinces, provided they were established in areas where there was a genuine need for them. “First of all, the government should form South Punjab province, on which the PTI government (2018-22) had worked a lot. We established a secretariat in South Punjab, gave it financial powers, and appointed an additional inspector general of police, an additional chief secretary and 12 secretaries to run its affairs,” PTI Chief Whip in the National Assembly Amir Dogar told Dawn. He said the present PML-N-led government had shelved the plan and dissolved the South Punjab Secretariat. “If the government is now serious about establishing new provinces, it should first revive the South Punjab Secretariat and then move towards creating seven or more provinces,” he demanded. Dogar said the PTI would support all reasonable constitutional amendments, but such amendments should also address issues including the revival of the judicial system, rule of law and the release of what he described as innocent political prisoners. What the Constitution says Article 1 of the Constitution, titled “The Republic and its Territories”, states: “Pakistan shall be a Federal Republic to be known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” It further specifies that the territories of Pakistan comprise the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh, along with the Islamabad Capital Territory and other territories or states that may be included in Pakistan. The same article also empowers parliament to admit new states or areas into the federation on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate. Article 239(4) of the Constitution makes it mandatory for a proposal altering the limits of a province to be approved by the relevant provincial assembly. It states: “A Bill to amend the Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a Province shall not be presented to the President for assent unless it has been passed by the Provincial Assembly of that Province by the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.” Constitutional experts say the process of altering provincial boundaries could become particularly difficult because of competing interests among provinces. The real problems, they noted, could emerge once specific boundaries were proposed, potentially triggering disputes over territorial divisions. The constitutional process, therefore, would require not only political consensus but also agreement on territorial boundaries, as well as the distribution of resources and administrative responsibilities. As many as 12 articles of the Constitution, the legal experts believe, would have to be amended to establish new provinces. Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2026