Only Parliament empowered to decide on new provinces: PPP-P
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) has reiterated that Parliament is the sole constitutional authority empowered to decide on the creation of new provinces, stressing that even a referendum on the matter must be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
“Parliament is the only constitutional forum empowered to decide on the creation of new provinces. The Constitution cannot be amended through a referendum; even the holding of a referendum must follow constitutional and parliamentary procedures. The Constitution-makers have clearly laid down the procedure for constitutional amendments. A two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament is mandatory for any constitutional amendment,” PPP-P Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari said in a statement on Tuesday.
The PPP leader said that the PPP has a clear position: public opinion must be respected, and decisions regarding the creation of new provinces must be taken by elected representatives in Parliament in accordance with the Constitution.
He said that the Constitution could not be amended through a referendum. “The holding of a referendum itself must also follow the prescribed constitutional and parliamentary procedure. Parliament is the sole constitutional forum for deciding on the creation of new provinces, yet no formal debate on this important national issue is taking place in Parliament,” he said.
Bukhari said that if new provinces are established in accordance with the Constitution, there should be no objection from anyone. He said that federal ministers representing Punjab are making proposals for the creation of new provinces outside Parliament. He questioned why these ministers do not bring the matter before the Federal Cabinet for formal discussion.
“No political party contested the elections by making the creation of new provinces a fundamental point of its election manifesto. Therefore, such an important national and constitutional matter should not be confined to political statements and discussions outside Parliament,” he said.
Raising questions about the debate on new provinces, Bukhari asked whether those initiating this discussion were attempting to create a way out of the existing federal structure.
He emphasized that parliamentary supremacy, constitutional requirements, the rights of federating units and public opinion must remain central to every decision concerning the country’s administrative and constitutional framework.
Nayyer Bukhari further said that a referendum should not be conducted along the lines of the General Zia-ul-Haq era. He questioned what exactly the proposed referendum on new provinces would ask: whether the people would be asked about creating new provinces in the country or about further dividing each existing province.
Referring to 162 countries where powers are concentrated at the Centre, Bukhari also highlighted the need for clarity on the distribution of powers and the federal structure.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026