Rana Sanaullah, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs, has publicly rejected a proposal to create new provinces in Pakistan [1].
The disagreement highlights internal friction within the government regarding administrative restructuring and the legal hurdles required to redraw provincial boundaries.
Sanaullah dismissed remarks made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi concerning the creation of new administrative units. He said the minister's comments "made no sense" and that he "could not understand what the minister intended to convey" [1].
During a series of statements made between Aug. 3 and Aug. 5, Sanaullah said there is no current proposal under consideration to create new provinces [2, 3]. He said any such move must follow the constitutional process and political consensus [2].
Despite the dismissal of the current plan, Sanaullah said on Aug. 5 [4] that the government will announce its official position on the issue soon. This suggests that while no active proposal exists today, the administration is still finalizing its formal stance on the matter.
The debate over new provinces often centers on improving governance and resource distribution across the country. However, Sanaullah said stability remains the priority, noting that the government is currently stable [4].
The Interior Minister's initial suggestions sparked the need for this clarification, as changes to provincial borders in Pakistan require significant legislative amendments, and broad agreement among political stakeholders [1, 2].
“"There is no proposal under consideration to create new provinces"”
The public contradiction between the Interior Minister and the Prime Minister's adviser reveals a lack of alignment on a highly sensitive constitutional issue. Because redrawing provincial lines requires a complex legal process and consensus among diverse political factions, the government's hesitation suggests that the political cost of restructuring currently outweighs the perceived administrative benefits.
