New Provinces Should Be Created If They Serve Pakistan’s Interests: Federal Minister

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said that new provinces should certainly be created if they are in Pakistan’s best interest and help improve administration.

In a social media post, Chaudhry said it was essential to develop consensus on important decisions such as the creation of new provinces. He stressed that such a decision could not be imposed on anyone and that the issue should be thoroughly debated in Parliament.

He described the beginning of a positive and healthy debate on the creation of new provinces as a welcome development, saying all political parties and the public should participate in the discussion.

The federal minister noted that India had established a commission on provinces in 1950 and subsequently created new provinces. He pointed out that Himachal Pradesh and Haryana were among the provinces created out of the former Indian Punjab.

Chaudhry said that if the creation of new provinces was necessary for Pakistan’s best interests and administrative improvement, they should be established. However, if there were concerns that creating new provinces could lead to further division or instability, different opinions could naturally emerge on the issue.

He emphasized that the sensitive matter should be taken forward through open-minded and healthy debate, consultation and consensus. All political parties, he added, should rise above their political interests and focus solely on the interests of Pakistan and its people.