Naqvi calls for new administrative units, political consensus to fix governance system

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday called for the creation of new administrative units to improve governance and public service delivery, urging political parties to forge a national consensus on structural reforms instead of relying on short-term measures.

Addressing the 1st Economic Summit 2026 in Islamabad, Naqvi argued that Pakistan’s governance model had become ineffective and required fundamental reforms to meet the needs of citizens and support economic growth.

“The system in which we are living has collapsed,” Naqvi said, adding that while he remained a strong supporter of democracy, the country needed to reform its administrative structure within the democratic framework.

He said public services, justice and decision-making must be brought closer to the people by devolving administrative authority.

“You have to take the system to administrative units or provinces, whatever name you want to give them. Until governance is brought closer to the people, ownership will not develop and new leadership will not emerge,” he said.

The interior minister urged all political parties to sit together and agree on creating new administrative units, saying such reforms were essential to improve governance, generate employment and strengthen merit-based institutions.

He said Pakistan’s youth were not seeking handouts but demanded merit, justice and equal economic opportunities.

“They are not asking for tablets or small stipends. They want jobs on merit and opportunities,” he said.

Naqvi also criticised the federal government’s growing dependence on borrowing, saying the country continued to prepare budgets with financing gaps instead of addressing structural weaknesses.

He urged the business community to actively push for governance reforms and play a greater role in politics, saying entrepreneurs possessed the management skills needed to improve public administration.

Drawing comparisons with other countries, Naqvi noted that India had increased its number of states since independence, while Indonesia also had a larger number of provinces, arguing that Pakistan should not hesitate to debate similar administrative reforms.

He called for a nationwide discussion on the proposal in parliament, universities and the media, saying the final decision should reflect the will of the people.

“If the people want power centres closer to them, then it should be done. If they don’t, then it shouldn’t,” he said.

Naqvi pledged his support for initiatives aimed at improving governance and said he was prepared to work with the business community, legal fraternity and political leadership to pursue reforms through consensus.

Referring to young people, Naqvi said they were demanding merit, justice and employment opportunities rather than government handouts.

“You can call them youth, you can call them cockroaches, you can call them whatever you want. But if these ‘cockroaches’ unite, they can turn everything upside down,” he said, urging policymakers to address young people’s aspirations before frustration grows.