Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have backed the creation of new provinces and administrative units.
This push for structural reform represents a significant attempt to redistribute power in Pakistan. Proponents argue that the current system fails to meet demographic realities, leaving large populations underserved by distant provincial capitals.
Leaders including Dr. Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui have joined Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal in calling for these changes. They said that new units are necessary to improve governance and strengthen the powers of local governments. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also said he supports the creation of these new administrative units.
The movement has shifted toward a demand for formal national discourse. On Aug. 16, 2026 [2], the MQM-P called for a national debate to determine the future of provincial boundaries and administrative structures.
However, the party has also signaled a willingness to move beyond legislative dialogue. On July 25, 2026 [1], Mustafa Kamal said the party would launch a street-level movement if their demands for increased local government powers were not met.
While some reports describe the goal as the creation of additional administrative units, other statements specifically call for the establishment of entirely new provinces. This distinction remains a point of debate among the party's leadership and their allies in Islamabad and Karachi.
The MQM-P maintains that these reforms are the only way to align the state's administrative capacity with the actual needs of the population. They continue to urge the federal government to initiate a comprehensive national dialogue to resolve these long-standing governance issues.
“MQM-P leaders and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have backed the creation of new provinces.”
The alignment of MQM-P with figures like Shahid Khaqan Abbasi suggests a growing cross-party consensus on the need for decentralization. By threatening street action alongside calls for national dialogue, the MQM-P is utilizing a dual-track strategy to pressure the federal government into restructuring Pakistan's provincial boundaries to better reflect urban population growth.
