SIALKOT / LALAMUSA: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has backed the creation of new provinces in Pakistan, saying even 12 could be considered, provided they were established on administrative rather than ethnic or political grounds. Speaking exclusively, he said, "If there is a proposal for 12 provinces, then make it 12, but they should not be created on the basis of language, ethnicity or political interests." Asif advocated the creation of smaller administrative units, arguing that Pakistan's growing population required a more effective system of governance to ensure the provision of public services.
He said power should not remain concentrated in provincial capitals such as Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar, calling instead for administrative powers to be transferred to smaller units. The defence minister also criticised the existing distribution of financial resources, saying funds transferred from the Centre remained at the discretion of provincial governments.
He maintained that these funds were ultimately intended for local government institutions, which themselves remained dependent on provincial authorities. Asif also called on politicians to reconsider their approach towards exercising authority.
"We politicians want to exercise all the power ourselves," he said, adding that political leaders must recognise that power was a trust bestowed upon them by the people. Referring to Pakistan's administrative history, he recalled that the country's provinces had previously been merged under the One Unit scheme before the decision was reversed.
He also cited Afghanistan as an example of administrative restructuring, saying its provinces had been increased from around eight or 10 to more than 30. Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Qamar Zaman Kaira on Sunday said about the 28th Constitutional Amendment that nobody had actually put anything on paper yet.
Talking to reporters at Daira Kaira, the PPP leader said the whole thing was basically just private chatter for now. "We keep hearing all this talk about a 28th Amendment, but on the ground, there is nothing.
This is being discussed by a few people, but there is nothing on paper," he added. He further said, "Once the government actually writes something down and brings everyone to the table, we'll see what's really in it.
Only then can anyone say if it's good or bad." Talking about Gilgit-Baltistan, Kaira thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for naming him to a new committee tasked with sorting out the region's constitutional status. He said: "Gilgit-Baltistan is a crucial part of Pakistan, but right now it's in this weird spot where it's part of the country, yet not officially in the Constitution.
People there have been asking for a very long time why they aren't fully brought into the fold." When asked about Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman's recent fiery statements, Kaira said: "Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a smart, seasoned politician whom we all respect, but lately he just seems upset with everybody." He added: "He has always been a guy who keeps political debate civil.
We just hope he picks his words a bit more carefully. If a leader as experienced as him starts sounding this bitter, what do you expect from the average person?"