New Administrative Units Won’t Take Away Punjabi or Sindhi Identity: Mohsin Naqvi

LAHORE: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the creation of southern or northern Punjab would not take away the Punjabi identity, nor would the creation of new administrative units in Sindh deprive anyone of their Sindhi identity.

Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, Naqvi said Pakistan had not achieved the desired results even after 79 years and that there was a need to “reset the system” to address its shortcomings.

He clarified that the idea of resetting the system was not aimed at any particular government or political party. Rather, the objective was to improve the country’s governance system and remove structural weaknesses that had prevented citizens from receiving adequate services.

“Many plans have been made over the past 79 years, but the people have not received the desired results,” he said, stressing that education, healthcare, clean drinking water and sanitation were basic facilities that should be available to every citizen.

Naqvi said any changes to the system must be made within the framework of the Constitution and law, with political consensus. He stressed that the purpose of a reset was not to abolish anything but to improve governance and service delivery.

Regarding the creation of new administrative units, the interior minister said the decision should not be based on the wishes of a political party or an individual. Instead, the people’s will should determine whether new administrative units should be created.

“If the people want new administrative units, they should be created, and if they do not, they should not be created,” he said, adding that the constitutional right of the people in this regard must be respected.

Naqvi argued that as populations and public needs increase, administrative structures must also evolve. He compared the situation to a growing family that eventually requires more living space, saying that a larger population similarly requires changes in the administrative system.

He called for greater devolution of powers to the grassroots level, saying concerns surrounding decentralisation needed to be addressed through constitutional and legal means. He made it clear that no illegal action would be permitted.

The interior minister also called for every Pakistani citizen to receive their due share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) framework. He pointed out that Islamabad’s residents currently do not receive a share from the NFC and said the capital’s system was being run by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) through the sale of its land.

He described Islamabad as the only city that, according to him, does not receive even a single rupee from Pakistan’s budget and argued that if new provinces were to be created, Islamabad should also be given provincial status.

Naqvi said he would not retreat from the issue of redrawing administrative boundaries and urged people not to become emotional over the matter. He maintained that public opinion was more important than the views of politicians.

He questioned whether a single bureaucrat could make decisions for a population of seven or 14 crore people, saying it was not possible to run the entire system of such a large population from one city.

The interior minister emphasised that new administrative units should be created for better governance rather than on the basis of ethnicity, race or community.

“Creating southern or northern Punjab will not end the Punjabi identity, and creating new administrative units in Sindh cannot take away the Sindhi identity,” he said.

He clarified that administrative reorganisation was not intended to increase the number of governments but to improve governance. Existing infrastructure would remain in place, while powers would be transferred to lower levels.

Naqvi also called on Parliament and the media to play their role in the debate over new administrative units. He said no maps or plans should be predetermined and that no single proposal should be treated as final in advance.

He concluded that whatever decision was ultimately taken in the national interest should be accepted by everyone.