Pakistan's debate over creating new provinces or autonomous administrative units has gained fresh momentum after senior civilian and military officials publicly questioned the country's existing governance structure, prompting renewed calls for administrative reforms.
In the latest episode of "On My Radar," Kamran Khan said Pakistan may be approaching a defining moment in its administrative history, arguing that the debate is no longer limited to drawing new provincial boundaries but has become a broader discussion about whether the country's current governance model can meet the needs of a population nearing 300 million.
He said the shift became apparent last week when the government and the military establishment appeared to adopt a more serious stance on the issue. While discussions included the possibility of public referendums on new provinces or autonomous administrative units, he said influential quarters also signaled support for administrative restructuring, with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz backing the direction.
Kamran said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the current administrative system as ineffective and called for a national consensus on creating new provinces or administrative units. A day later, military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said strong governance is the foundation of national security and that any administrative "reset" required to achieve it should be seriously considered.
According to Kamran, the statements marked "not merely two remarks but the beginning of a national dialogue" that has revived a question that had remained dormant for years.
He noted that the manifestos of the country's three major political parties — the PML-N, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — all support the idea of new provinces. However, he said the PPP has repeatedly retreated to demanding only a South Punjab province whenever the issue moves toward implementation.
Kamran said the first major opposition to the latest proposals came from the PPP. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah dismissed Mohsin Naqvi's proposal as a "worn-out idea," saying the people of Sindh would not accept such a plan.
Kamran criticized the PPP's 18-year rule in Sindh, arguing that Karachi — which he described as contributing 95% of the province's budget and serving as Pakistan's economic lifeline — still lacks clean drinking water, an adequate road network, a Safe City system and an effective public transportation network.
He said the chief minister did not explain why, despite those shortcomings, his government opposed proposals that could improve Karachi's governance and help the city shed what Kamran described as its status as the world's third-worst city.
Kamran argued that the central question is not whether Pakistan should create new provinces, but whether a country of nearly 300 million people can continue to function through only four large administrative units.
He cited population and geographic comparisons to argue that Pakistan's administrative structure has become increasingly imbalanced. Punjab, he said, is larger than 182 countries, Sindh is larger than 162, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa exceeds 152 and Balochistan is larger than 172 countries.
"There is hardly any successful administrative model in the world where such vast geography, such a large population and their needs are effectively managed through a single provincial government," he said.
Kamran argued that successful countries regularly adjust their administrative structures to reflect changes in population, economic activity and urban growth. Pakistan, by contrast, has concentrated authority, resources and decision-making in a handful of major cities.
He said the debate has therefore evolved beyond changing provincial boundaries into a broader effort to dismantle what he described as the monopoly of the four provinces and bring authority and resources closer to citizens.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also supported the proposal during the program, saying, "The country's system is not working. Political parties and all stakeholders need to sit together and decide how the country should move forward."
Kamran said smaller provinces could become more effective administrative units but warned that meaningful reform would require financially empowered local governments. Without strong local governance, he said, administrative problems would simply shift from Islamabad to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta or future provincial capitals rather than being resolved.
He noted that residents of remote districts still depend on provincial capitals for basic healthcare, education, policing, revenue administration and judicial services, while most visible development remains concentrated in a few large cities.
"When decisions are made hundreds of kilometers away, the distance between the people and the state also grows," he said.
Kamran concluded that recent developments suggest the issue has moved beyond regional politics and is becoming part of Pakistan's national governance agenda. If powers and resources are genuinely devolved to lower levels, he said, future generations may look back on this period as the moment when Pakistan chose not only to redraw its map but also to transform the way it is governed.
The episode also featured Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and constitutional law expert Abdul Moeed Jaafri.
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