Balochistan division imperative: Bugti

Seeks stronger local govts, increased resource allocations

ISLAMABAD:

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has called for a review of the country's administrative structure, citing the province's vast geographical expanse and governance challenges.

He said additional administrative units, stronger local governments and a revised resource-sharing framework were needed to improve public service delivery in the province.

Speaking at a national dialogue on administrative reorganisation and the creation of new provinces in the country, the chief minister said governing a vast province like Balochistan solely from Quetta posed significant administrative challenges.

He called for a review of the country's administrative structure, governance models and the question of establishing new provinces.

Bugti welcomed the ongoing national debate on governance reforms, describing it as a positive development. However, he said discussions on such important issues should not remain confined to seminars and hotels but should be taken to parliament, where broader political consensus could be developed.

The chief minister said it was necessary to assess whether the Westminster-style democratic system was delivering the desired results to citizens and whether existing administrative and territorial arrangements were creating obstacles to efficient governance and service delivery.

He noted that some of the challenges attributed to governance systems may stem from the current administrative divisions themselves.

Highlighting the unique geographical realities of Balochistan, Bugti compared the province's vastness with other parts of the country.

He said a journey across Punjab from the Wagah border to the southern district of Rajanpur takes six to seven hours, whereas travelling from one point to another within a single district of Balochistan can take up to ten hours.

This, he said, illustrated the scale of the province's administrative challenges and underscored the need for reforms tailored to local realities.

Emphasising the importance of political unity, the chief minister said meaningful administrative reforms could only be implemented through broad-based consensus among political stakeholders.

While seminars and public discussions played an important role in generating awareness, he maintained that practical solutions would emerge only when political parties engaged in serious deliberations within parliament.

Bugti argued that Balochistan required not only additional provinces or administrative units but also a more efficient provincial administrative structure capable of addressing public needs effectively.

Referring to an incident during his tenure as interior minister, he recalled a suicide attack near a shrine in the remote Sarona area of Khuzdar district that claimed multiple lives.

He said criticism had arisen over the delayed arrival of the deputy commissioner at the site, but the official had needed nearly nine hours to travel from the district headquarters to the scene.

According to Bugti, the incident highlighted the challenges posed by vast distances and the limitations of the existing administrative framework.

The chief minister also called for a broader approach to resource allocation under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.