Politics
Proposals to increase the number of provinces in Pakistan to 12 and hold a nationwide referendum before introducing the 28th Constitutional Amendment are being considered at senior political and administrative levels.
Islamabad: Proposals to increase the number of provinces in Pakistan to 12 and hold a nationwide referendum before introducing the 28th Constitutional Amendment are being considered at senior political and administrative levels. The proposed changes aim to improve governance, strengthen administrative efficiency and ensure a fairer distribution of resources across the country. According to sources, a proposal has been put forward to introduce the proposed constitutional amendment during the first half of 2027, with preliminary steps beginning in the first quarter of the same year. The main objective is to bring government services closer to the people and transfer powers concentrated in provincial capitals to lower levels of administration.
According to sources and media reports, the proposed administrative framework envisages dividing Punjab into four provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into three, Balochistan into three and Sindh into two. However, officials say the proposal is still at an initial stage of deliberation, and decisions regarding geographical boundaries and the final constitutional procedure for such a major administrative restructuring have yet to be made. A key component of the proposed plan is to hold a nationwide referendum before the constitutional amendment, allowing the public to express its views directly on the creation of new provinces. The aim is to ensure that this important national issue does not remain confined to political manoeuvring or the interests of individual parties.
Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to the media in Sialkot, expressed support for creating new administrative units on administrative grounds. He said that if there was a proposal to establish 12 administrative units, it should be implemented, but their formation should be based solely on public convenience rather than linguistic, ethnic or political interests. He also expressed concern that funds allocated by the federal government often remain concentrated in provincial capitals instead of reaching local government institutions.
Meanwhile, former Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, speaking to the media in Uch Sharif, called for the immediate establishment of Bahawalpur and Hazara as separate provinces. He also announced plans to launch a nationwide campaign from Bahawalpur in support of the demand. The positions of other major political parties on the proposed constitutional and administrative changes also appear divided.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Minister of State Huzaifa Rehman stated that his party believes the matter should be brought before Parliament for comprehensive debate and the development of a consensus. On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Saleem Taimur Jhagra accused the PML-N of being unwilling to loosen its grip on its centre of power in Punjab. Meanwhile, Sindh government spokesperson Saadia Javed said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would not support any referendum on the issue. She maintained that the creation of new provinces should follow the constitutional procedure laid down in the Constitution.
