ISLAMABAD: The military would support any political decision to create additional provinces if it improves governance, service delivery and political and administrative inclusion, military sources said on Tuesday, stressing that the matter was ultimately for the political leadership and Parliament to decide.
These sources said the creation of new provinces was fundamentally a political and constitutional matter that must be settled through the prescribed constitutional process. The military’s interest, they said, stemmed primarily from governance and national security considerations, particularly the need to ensure that administrative structures remained responsive to a rapidly growing population.
From a security perspective, according to these sources, the issue was not simply about redrawing administrative boundaries but also about the relationship between effective governance and internal stability. Administrative structures must keep pace with population growth to ensure effective public services, development opportunities, access to state institutions and political representation, they added.
Poor governance and regional disparities, the sources warned, could fuel deprivation, alienation and resentment, creating openings for hostile actors, criminal networks and extremist organisations to exploit local grievances.
The military therefore viewed stronger governance as vital to national security and would support the creation of provinces where doing so improved services, reduced disparities and brought administration closer to the people, they said.
The military’s comments come as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s repeated public calls for the creation of new provinces triggered unease across the political spectrum, exposing differences among major political parties over the sensitive issue.
The PML-N is expected to open a parliamentary debate on the creation of new provinces in October, but no formal bill or proposal has yet been initiated. The number of proposed provinces, their boundaries and the areas that could be affected also remain undecided.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has confirmed that the issue is expected to come up during the upcoming parliamentary sessions.
However, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said no bill or resolution had so far been initiated by the government, describing the matter as being at an early stage.
He said that if a bill were introduced, it could take six to eight months to pass through Parliament and its committees. Sanaullah has publicly stated that the creation of new provinces should be pursued through political consultation and the constitutional process rather than through speeches alone. And any decision on holding a referendum on the creation of new provinces would be taken by a joint sitting of Parliament.
The issue has already exposed differences both within political parties and among the provinces. The PPP has openly opposed any move to divide Sindh, while the PML-N appears divided over the proposal.
Informed sources told Business Recorder that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is not supportive of the move, while some members of the party in the federal government are concerned that not pursuing the issue could revive tensions reminiscent of his past disagreements with establishment, which preceded his removal from power during his three terms as the Prime Minister.
The PPP has maintained that any decision regarding the creation of new provinces should be taken through the constitutional and parliamentary process and with political consensus. PPP Secretary General Nayyer Bokhari told Business Recorder that such a decision should be made by elected representatives, cautioning against what he described as irresponsible statements and rhetoric that could deepen divisions in the country.
Bokhari referred to the Sindh Assembly resolution adopted on September 3, rejecting attempts to divide Sindh or create new administrative units. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has also said there would be no compromise on the geographical unity of the province.
Bokhari said the federal government did not have the two-third majority required to amend the Constitution and urged it to first take the matter before the federal cabinet before initiating parliamentary proceedings.
“If the government’s ministers are serious about the matter, they should have the courage to bring it before the federal cabinet,” he added.
Article 239 of the Constitution stipulates that a constitutional amendment requires a two-third majority of the total membership of both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Where an amendment seeks to alter the limits of an existing province, it must also secure approval by a two-third majority of the total membership of the affected provincial assembly.
The Constitution also provides a mechanism for a referendum on a matter of national importance. Under Article 48(6), if the Prime Minister considers it necessary to hold a referendum on such a matter, it may be referred to a joint sitting of the Parliament. If approved by the joint sitting, the matter may then be referred to the people in the form of a question capable of being answered by either “Yes” or “No”.
The PTI has also called for wider consultation on the issue. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said new provinces should not be created without broader consultation and agreement. PTI Chief Whip in the National Assembly Amir Dogar, however, said that his party would support the creation of new provinces where there was a genuine administrative need, with South Punjab among its priorities. The PTI, while in government, had supported the creation of South Punjab as a separate province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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