Afzal Ali Shigri
The debate on creating new provinces is often seen through the lens of ethnicity, history and political identity, and projected as being in the public interest.
Not only is this misleading, it is also designed to preserve the existing power strÂucture. It diverts attention from the real issue of governance failure and replaces it with emotional narratives.
Pakistan does not suffer from a shortage of identities; it suffers from a deficit of equitable governance and basic administrative needs.
Across South Asia, the trajectory is unmistakable. To improve governance, India has expanded from about 14 states at independence to 28 and eight union territories (it has included occupied Jammu & Kashmir in the latter category).
Bangladesh has moved from four to eight administrative divisions, while Nepal has transitioned from a unitary system to seven provinces. Even Afghanistan has increased its administrative units from fewer than 20 to 34 provinces.
In contrast, Pakistan, despite significant population growth and increasing governance complexity, continues to operate with only four provinces, reflecting a deeper resistance to redistributing power.
Pakistan’s ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity is a strength to be preserved and encouraged. However, when administrative systems fail to ensure the fair distribution of development and opportunity, identity turns into grievance, which is then used politically to resist reform, protect entrenched interests, and maintain control over resources.
The debate is thus confined to identity while deprivation remains unaddressed.
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