New provinces?              Author: Ahmed Bilal Mehboob

The article cuts to the chase by questioning whether carving out new provinces in Pakistan is the silver bullet for better governance or merely a costly illusion. It shows recent chatter about turning 32 divisions into provinces or reverting to the 12 divisions of early West Pakistan, showing how such grandiose proposals are often floated as quick fixes. While proponents paint a rosy picture of efficiency and devolution, the writer warns that these ideas may be driven more by vested interests than genuine public demand. Drawing comparisons with India’s language-driven statehood movements, the piece points out that Pakistan lacks such burning impulses today, and unlike India’s union model, Pakistan’s federation requires near-impossible constitutional majorities to alter provincial boundaries. At a time when terrorism, economic fragility, and geopolitical storms already keep the country on a knife-edge, plunging into a divisive province debate risks opening a Pandora’s box.

The article suggests that creating new provinces is not just politically cumbersome but also economically reckless, as it would saddle the nation with hefty bills for new assemblies, governors, cabinets, and courts. Instead of barking up the wrong tree, he urges that Pakistan should bite the bullet and empower local governments through constitutional guarantees, funding, and continuity, just as India did decades after independence. Large provinces are not inherently problematic but what cripples governance is the failure to devolve power down to the grassroots. Therefore the way forward is not to split provinces but to strengthen municipalities and councils, ensuring governance that is responsive, inclusive, and cost-effective.

Overview:

The article stresses that dividing provinces is a distraction; true devolution lies in giving teeth to local governments. It compares Pakistan’s rigid constitutional structure with India’s more flexible model and concludes that Pakistan must resist quick-fix solutions and opt for meaningful reforms at the grassroots.

NOTES:

The article carefully examines the ongoing debate over creating new provinces in Pakistan, highlighting that while proposals to transform the existing 32 divisions into provinces or revert to the original 12 divisions sound promising, they are neither timely nor practical. The author underlines that Pakistan is grappling with terrorism, economic instability and volatile geopolitics, making the pursuit of new provinces a misplaced priority. Comparisons with India’s state reorganisation show pivotal differences, India’s states were created after fierce language-based movements, while Pakistan lacks such urgent impulses today. Moreover, Pakistan’s federal structure makes boundary changes constitutionally cumbersome, requiring two-thirds majorities both at the provincial and national levels. Beyond legal hurdles the idea carries a heavy economic burden as new provinces would demand separate assemblies, cabinets, governors, and high courts, straining already scarce resources. Instead, the article argues for strengthening local governments, backed by constitutional guarantees and sustainable funding. Large provinces are not inherently flawed; what hinders Pakistan is the lack of effective devolution to the grassroots level. Empowering municipalities and councils, as in the UK or through India’s constitutional reforms for local governments, is presented as the real pathway to inclusive and efficient governance.

Related CSS Syllabus or Subjects:

• Pakistan Affairs: Federalism, provincial autonomy, constitutional reforms
• Current Affairs: Governance, decentralisation, policy debates
• Governance and Public Policy: Local government systems, devolution
• Essay Paper: Good governance, democracy, institutional reforms

Notes for Beginners:

The article explains that making more provinces sounds good but may not really solve Pakistan’s problems. For example, if 12 provinces were created, each would need a separate assembly, cabinet and court which would cost billions. Instead, the better option is to make local governments strong. For instance, in the UK which is not even a federation, local governments still deliver good governance because they have proper powers and funds. This shows Pakistan should focus on empowering local councils instead of creating new provinces.

Facts and Figures:

• Proposals include turning 32 divisions into provinces or reverting to 12 divisions.
• India increased its states from 17 to 28, starting with the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.
• The 1956 Act created 14 states and 3 union territories.
• Further 14 states were created in India between 1956 and the present.
• A two-thirds majority is required in provincial assemblies and both Houses of Parliament to alter boundaries in Pakistan.

To wrap up, the article shows that while the debate may stir emotions, the real key to good governance lies not in redrawing maps but in empowering local governments. At the end of the day, Pakistan must stop chasing shortcuts and face the music by reforming governance at the grassroots.

Difficult Words and Meanings:

• Extravagance: Wasteful spending. Synonym: profligacy. Antonym: frugality
• Contentious: Likely to cause dispute. Synonym: controversial. Antonym: agreeable
• Emotive: Appealing to emotions. Synonym: sentimental. Antonym: rational
• Pragmatic: Based on practical considerations. Synonym: realistic. Antonym: idealistic
• Reorganisation: Rearrangement for efficiency. Synonym: restructuring. Antonym: disorder