National Party vows to resist new provinces

QUETTA:

The National Party (NP) on Sunday declared a firm stance against the proposed division of existing provinces, pledging to launch a political movement to thwart any attempts to restructure Pakistan's administrative boundaries.

Addressing reporters at a news conference, former Balochistan chief minister and NP Central President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch criticized the proposal, characterizing the creation of new administrative zones as an unnecessary distraction from pressing national crises.

"Fabricating a debate over a non-issue is a deliberate attempt by the ruling authorities to deflect public scrutiny from core socio-economic challenges," Dr Malik asserted.

He affirmed that his party would mobilize public opinion and utilize all political avenues to resist the reconfiguration of provincial borders.

Dr Malik noted that major political entities—including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F)—similarly reject the establishment of new provinces strictly on administrative grounds.

Reaffirming his party's dedication to provincial autonomy and federalism, the NP leader emphasized that altering federating units without broad consensus remains unacceptable.