Pakistan interior minister says governing system has 'collapsed,' calls for new provinces

Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said Thursday that the country's governing system has "collapsed" and called for creating new administrative units or provinces to fix long-standing governance and economic problems. He made the remarks at Pakistan's first Economic Summit in Islamabad.

Why does Naqvi say Pakistan's system has collapsed?

Naqvi told business leaders and chamber of commerce representatives that Pakistan's existing system can no longer solve the country's problems. He said that without structural change, the same issues will still be under discussion a decade from now. His comments point to a governance model he views as too fragmented to deliver reform.

"The system we are living in has fallen. Problems cannot be solved within it," Naqvi said at the summit. "If this system continues, we will still be sitting here discussing the same problems ten years from now."

What did Naqvi say about creating new provinces?

Naqvi, who rarely delivers political speeches, said Pakistan must move toward new administrative units or provinces to improve governance. He said the exact name given to these units matters less than the shift itself. He added that the issue needs to be brought before the public rather than settled behind closed doors.

"Call them administrative units or provinces, whatever name you want to give them, we will have to move in that direction," he said. "Until everyone sits together, the country will keep running the way it is."

What did Naqvi say about Pakistan's youth?

Naqvi warned that Pakistan's growing youth population wants merit-based jobs rather than government handouts, and that ignoring this demand could carry serious consequences. He said the government should act on young people's demands before they are forced to voice them publicly.

"Call them youth or call them cockroaches, if they come together they can overturn everything," Naqvi said. He added that young people were seeking opportunities based on merit, not monthly stipends worth a few thousand rupees.

What did Naqvi say about Pakistan's debt and budget?

Naqvi criticized Pakistan's fiscal model, saying each federal budget focuses on increasing borrowing rather than resolving structural problems. He compared this to a household that starts every month already owing large sums and never resets its finances. He said Pakistan's debt keeps growing each year without meaningful change.

He also described the long hours put in by officials as little more than "firefighting," saying this work improves Pakistan's image abroad without addressing the root causes of its problems.

What else did Naqvi say at the summit?

Naqvi told the audience that many people responsible for Pakistan's current condition were present at the summit, arguing that business leaders help sustain the political system by funding politicians before elections while avoiding politics themselves. He said businessmen back their preferred politicians ahead of elections but see entering politics as "an insult."

He said Pakistan had imported an estimated $14 billion worth of agricultural products, including wheat, despite being an agricultural country. He also criticized delays in the justice system, saying timely justice remains elusive even with new courts established. Naqvi called for all political parties to stay in one room "for a month or a year if necessary" until the country's problems are resolved, adding that he remains a strong supporter of democracy, which he said includes "five or six different systems," not just one.

A day earlier, Naqvi met President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi and briefed him on the security situation, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, along with ongoing counterterrorism operations, according to an official statement. Zardari praised the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and police for their role in operations against militancy.

Who is Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's interior minister?

Naqvi, 47, became Pakistan's interior minister in March 2024 after serving as Punjab's caretaker chief minister ahead of the 2024 general elections. He was elected to the Senate as an independent with backing from the ruling coalition but does not belong to any political party. He also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and president of the Asian Cricket Council.