ISLAMABAD (Web Desk): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistan’s ongoing debate is focused on creating new administrative units and strengthening local governance rather than simply dividing existing provinces.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has clarified that discussions surrounding Pakistan’s administrative structure are currently centred on possible new administrative units and greater devolution of powers, rather than an agreed plan to divide the country into additional provinces.
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, the defence minister said different views had emerged among leaders of the ruling party, but no formal consensus had been reached. He said the party had not yet held a dedicated meeting to formulate a collective position on the creation of new administrative units.
According to Khawaja Asif, statements made by individual political leaders should therefore be viewed as their personal opinions rather than an officially approved government or party policy.
He said there was generally little resistance to proposals for creating additional provinces in Punjab, but political opposition became more pronounced when similar ideas were discussed in relation to other provinces.
The minister’s comments come amid renewed debate over Pakistan’s governance structure, provincial administration and the distribution of political and administrative authority.
Focus on devolution
Khawaja Asif said he had been working for some time on implementing the devolution of powers envisaged under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
He argued that the existing system needed to be strengthened by transferring greater authority to lower levels of government, particularly district administrations.
The 18th Amendment significantly increased provincial autonomy, but questions surrounding the transfer of authority from provincial governments to local institutions have remained an important part of Pakistan’s political and constitutional debate.
Khawaja Asif suggested that improving local governance could be considered alongside any future discussion about restructuring the country’s administrative framework.
Greater decentralisation, he said, could bring government decision-making closer to citizens and allow district-level institutions to address local issues more effectively.
His remarks indicate that the current discussion extends beyond the question of whether new provinces should be created. Instead, it also involves examining whether Pakistan’s existing administrative arrangements can be reorganised to improve governance and service delivery.
Islamabad as federal territory
The defence minister also raised the possibility of changing the administrative arrangement of Islamabad.
He suggested that the federal capital could potentially be treated as a federal territory, directly administered by the federal government.
Khawaja Asif referred to international examples, including Washington, where the capital operates under a federal territorial arrangement rather than being part of a state structure.
He also suggested that the creation of one or two additional federal territories could be considered as part of a wider administrative review.
Such proposals, however, would require detailed political, constitutional and administrative consideration before any decision could be implemented.
The discussion therefore appears to involve several possible models, including additional administrative units, stronger district governments and federal territories.
Regional security remarks
During his interaction with the media, Khawaja Asif also commented on regional security developments.
He said that an attack on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi movement would be regarded as an attack on Pakistan, reflecting Islamabad’s concerns over threats to its regional partners and the wider security environment.
The statement comes as Pakistan continues to closely monitor developments across the Middle East and maintain diplomatic and security ties with key regional countries.
The minister’s comments on both governance and regional security underline the range of issues currently facing the government.
For now, however, there is no formal ruling-party consensus on creating new provinces or administrative units. Khawaja Asif’s remarks suggest that the government-level discussion remains at an exploratory stage, with political leaders continuing to express individual positions.
Any major restructuring of Pakistan’s administrative system would ultimately require broader political agreement and consideration under the country’s constitutional framework.
