Bhutto-Zardari calls for discussing new Pakistani provinces in parliament
In London, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the issue of creating new provinces in Pakistan should be discussed in parliament. He also criticized Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for speaking at business forums instead of taking part in parliamentary debates.
As Dawn reports, Bhutto-Zardari spoke with journalists during a visit to the British capital with his father, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Asked whose views Naqvi was expressing, the politician replied that the minister had the right to his own opinion.
Discussion in parliament
Bhutto-Zardari stressed that the creation of new provinces should be discussed in the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan's parliament. He said he was ready to debate the issue with any representative of the federal government or any federal minister.
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According to him, elected representatives of the people should openly discuss the historical problems of the governance system, the reasons for its decline and possible solutions. His comments came amid Naqvi's calls to review the system of public administration and create new provinces.
Positions on administrative reform
In July, Naqvi called for a review of the country's governance structure and the creation of new provinces. He later said that the existing administrative system, in his view, no longer made it possible to effectively respond to population growth and the country's changing needs. The minister also explained that the proposed “reset” did not mean changing the government or political party, but involved a comprehensive review of the administrative system. He called for discussing the possibility of granting Islamabad provincial status as well.
The PPP, which governs the province of Sindh and is an ally of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government at the federal level, strongly opposes the initiative, primarily the proposed division of Sindh. At the same time, the party has long supported the creation of a South Punjab province. The Sindh Assembly adopted a resolution against dividing the province or creating new administrative units, while Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said there would be no compromise on the province's geographical unity.
