Pakistan needs more provinces and strong local governments

Throughout the world, successful federations have consistently recognised that as populations grow and economies become more complex, governments must move closer to the people. Decentralisation has become one of the defining features of effective governance. Nations that have periodically reorganised their administrative structures have generally experienced faster economic growth, better public services, stronger institutions and greater political stability.

The discussion on creating new provinces in Pakistan has unfortunately remained trapped within political and ethnic narratives. Such an approach obscures the real issue. Administrative reorganisation should never be viewed as a concession to regional politics; rather, it should be regarded as a constitutional instrument for improving governance and ensuring equitable development. Provinces should neither be created nor opposed on ethnic, linguistic or political grounds. Instead, objective criteria such as population, geographical size, administrative workload, accessibility, economic viability, infrastructure needs and national security should guide the process.

No major country has achieved sustained economic growth, administrative efficiency or political stability through excessive centralisation. Successful nations continuously adapt their administrative structures to changing demographic, economic and security realities. Administrative reform is therefore not an event but a continuous national process.

Pakistan, unfortunately, has moved in the opposite direction. Provincial governments have become increasingly centralised, while local governments remain financially weak and administratively dependent. Decision-making is concentrated in provincial capitals, leaving remote districts with limited influence over development priorities. The result has been uneven infrastructure development, delayed public services, weak municipal administration, inadequate policing and growing perceptions of regional inequality. These are not failures of democracy; they are failures of administrative design.

The solution lies not merely in creating additional provinces but in adopting a comprehensive national policy of decentralisation based upon constitutional principles, objective benchmarks and international best practices. Pakistan requires an administrative structure that is dynamic, evidence-based and capable of evolving with future demographic and economic changes rather than remaining frozen in the institutional framework of the past. Administrative reorganisation must be guided by objective constitutional principles rather than political expediency or ethnic considerations. A modern federation should periodically review its administrative structure to ensure that governance keeps pace with changing demographic, economic and security realities.

Pakistan therefore needs a permanent institutional mechanism to undertake this responsibility. Parliament should establish a National Commission on Administrative Reforms and Decentralisation through an Act of Parliament. The Commission should comprise constitutional experts, economists, public administration specialists, demographers, finance experts, urban planners, representatives of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, members of the Planning Commission and representatives of all federating units. It should function as an independent constitutional policy body, reviewing Pakistan's administrative structure after every national census and recommending reforms based upon objective benchmarks rather than political pressures.

The Commission should establish measurable national standards, including population size, geographical area, administrative workload, distance from the provincial capital, accessibility of public services, economic sustainability, infrastructure requirements, law and order considerations, disaster management capacity, human development indicators and future population growth. Such an evidence-based approach would depoliticise the debate and ensure that administrative reforms serve the national interest rather than partisan interests.

One of the most important constitutional reforms requiring serious national discussion is the amendment of Article 239 of the Constitution. Under the existing constitutional framework, altering provincial boundaries is an extremely difficult process. While these constitutional safeguards were intended to protect the federating units, they have also made necessary administrative reforms almost impossible. Pakistan should therefore consider a constitutional amendment providing that, after laying down clear constitutional principles and safeguards, the establishment, merger or reorganisation of provinces may be undertaken by Parliament through an Act passed by a simple majority on the recommendations of the National Commission. Such a reform would enable the federation to respond to changing administrative realities through democratic parliamentary decision-making.

Administrative reforms should not stop at the provincial level. The greatest weakness in Pakistan's governance structure lies in the persistent neglect of local governments. Although Article 140A of the Constitution requires elected local governments with political, administrative and financial responsibility, this constitutional vision has never been fully realised.

No country has achieved efficient governance without empowering local governments. Pakistan must adopt a new model of fiscal decentralisation. Financial devolution should accompany administrative devolution. Local governments should receive predictable and constitutionally protected transfers under a transparent statutory formula linked to population, area, poverty levels, infrastructure deficits and development needs. District governments, metropolitan corporations, municipal committees and village councils should be empowered to plan and implement education, primary healthcare, sanitation, water supply, waste management, local roads, urban transport, housing regulation, parks, environmental protection and community development.

Administrative reorganisation should also become a continuous constitutional process rather than a one-time political exercise. After every national census, the proposed National Commission should assess whether existing provinces, divisions, districts and local governments continue to meet national benchmarks. Where necessary, Parliament should be empowered to undertake further administrative restructuring in accordance with objective constitutional criteria. Such a dynamic system would ensure that Pakistan's administrative architecture evolves alongside demographic and economic changes.

Pakistan's founders envisioned a federation founded upon justice, participation and efficient administration. Those constitutional aspirations require constant institutional renewal. The challenges of the 21st century cannot be addressed through administrative arrangements inherited from another era. Governance must evolve with the needs of the people. The real strength of a federation lies not in concentrating power but in distributing authority wisely, ensuring that every citizen enjoys equal access to public institutions and equal opportunities for development.