New Delhi: Pakistan is discussing an internal restructuring plan that has come to the fore after years of hesitation. Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said the country is now moving toward the creation of smaller provinces, a step that could change how the country is governed at the administrative level. The proposal has revived questions about whether redrawing provincial boundaries can improve governance or whether it risks creating fresh complications at a time when the nation is already under pressure.
Khan on December 7 declared that smaller provinces will “definitely be created”, insisting that the change would lift state performance and improve everyday governance.
Pakistan’s political class has debated such restructuring since Independence. In 1947, the new nation consisted of East Bengal, West Punjab, Sindh, the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan. The story took a turn in 1971 when East Bengal became Bangladesh.
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In the years that followed, West Punjab became Punjab, the NWFP was renamed as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Sindh and Balochistan retained their identities. That map has since stood firm, even as arguments for change kept reappearing.
Provinces Under Pressure As Islamabad Floats New Map
The renewed push comes at a time when the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and backed by the military establishment is facing strong demands for autonomy from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khan’s statement, highlighted by Dawn, follows a series of public events where panellists, commentators and political actors revived the idea of breaking provinces into smaller units.
Speaking at a convention of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), he said that the move would help bring “administrative control” closer to the people. He went on to indicate that each of the four provinces (Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) could eventually be split into three parts.
“All neighbouring countries around us have several small provinces,” he said, pointing to regional examples that Pakistan’s policymakers often invoke.
The IPP is part of the Sharif-led coalition, though the largest civilian partner is the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The PPP has long protected the territorial unity of Sindh, and its leadership has not softened its position. In November, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stressed that his party would resist any attempt to divide the province.
Even so, the idea is gaining political backers this time. Several think tanks and coalition partners, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P), have expressed support for pursuing new provinces through the proposed 28th Amendment. The MQM-P has promised to use “all legal and democratic means” to push the plan.
Experts Fear A Heavier Burden On Weak Systems
While political interest around redrawing the map grows, specialists in governance and public administration are urging caution.
Veteran bureaucrat Syed Akhtar Ali Shah has warned that discussions around more provinces require a deeper constitutional and historical assessment. Writing in The Express Tribune, he said that Pakistan has tested various governance structures in the past (from Ayub Khan’s two-province formula to later decentralisation attempts), but these initiatives often produced new problems instead of easing existing ones.
He highlighted that Pakistan’s long-standing issues lie in weak institutions, uneven implementation of the law and an absence of accountability. These gaps, he argued, have a role in most of Pakistan’s governance challenges.
“The major issue confronting Pakistan is not the number of provinces but the gaps in governance, which are deeply intertwined with the rule of law,” he wrote.
According to him, creating new provincial lines without repairing the internal machinery could intensify pressure on an already stretched system.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, who heads the think tank Pildat, echoed this view in Dawn. He wrote that earlier attempts at administrative restructuring ended up deepening resentment rather than easing it. Setting up new provinces, he explained, demands enormous resources and complex negotiations.
He added that Pakistan’s problems stem not from the size of its provinces but from the limited transfer of authority to local governments.
Both experts emphasise the need for stronger district-level governance and genuine power-sharing at the local tier, in keeping with constitutional requirements. They argue that this approach would improve service delivery far more reliably than shifting borders on a map.
A Debate Returning With Old Memories, New Risks
Pakistan is moving ahead with the political conversation on new provinces, and the debate carries a sense of urgency not seen in years. Specialists warn that the country risks repeating past missteps if it pushes administrative restructuring without addressing the root problems that strain its institutions.
At present, Pakistan is reassessing the potential of creating new provincial boundaries while confronting the challenges within its existing governance system. This debate is influenced by history and carries unpredictable consequences.