Sialkot, November 8,2026: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has supported the creation of new provinces in Pakistan, saying the country could even have 12 provinces if they were established on administrative grounds rather than ethnic, linguistic or political considerations.
Speaking to a private television channel on Sunday, the defence minister said the proposal to create new provinces had been under discussion for the past two months, with views emerging from different parts of the country.
“If there is a proposal for 12 provinces, then make it 12, but they should not be created on the basis of language, ethnicity or political interests,” he said.
Advocating smaller administrative units, Khawaja Asif argued that Pakistan’s growing population required a more effective governance structure to ensure better delivery of public services.
He said administrative powers should not remain concentrated in provincial capitals, including Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar, and called for their devolution to smaller administrative units.
The minister also criticised the existing distribution of financial resources, observing that funds transferred by the federal government remained largely at the discretion of provincial governments, although they were ultimately intended to support local government institutions.
He urged politicians to reconsider their approach towards exercising authority, saying political leaders should recognise that power was a trust entrusted to them by the people.
“We politicians want to exercise all the power ourselves,” he remarked.
Referring to Pakistan’s administrative history, Asif recalled the merger of provinces under the One Unit scheme and its subsequent reversal. He also cited Afghanistan as an example of administrative restructuring, noting that the number of its provinces had increased from around eight or 10 to more than 30.
Proposal for 12 provinces
The defence minister’s remarks come amid reports that a proposal to reorganise Pakistan into 12 provinces is under consideration, with a nationwide referendum envisaged ahead of a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment.
The proposed arrangement could divide Punjab into four provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan into three provinces each, and Sindh into two.
Sources familiar with the proposal have indicated that the constitutional amendment could be considered in the first half of 2027, with preparatory steps potentially beginning in the first quarter of the year.
However, the proposal remains under consideration, and no final decision has been taken regarding provincial boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process.
The proposed restructuring is aimed at improving governance, decentralising administrative authority and ensuring a more equitable distribution of development resources across the country.
