ISLAMABAD, July 31 (Alliance News): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition partner of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, on Friday advised against expanding the debate over the creation of new administrative units, saying the priority should be improving governance rather than reopening constitutional discussions.
The remarks came a day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for administrative reforms, arguing that Pakistan’s existing governance system was no longer capable of effectively addressing the country’s challenges.
Speaking at an event in Islamabad, Naqvi said the current administrative structure had become ineffective and urged policymakers to consider creating new administrative units to improve governance.
He later told journalists that sustainable progress required political consensus on governance reforms, saying that the efforts of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir would not achieve lasting results unless political parties worked together to strengthen the country’s governance system.
Responding during Geo News’ programme Geo Pakistan, PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman said it would be better not to take the debate over administrative units any further at this stage.
She noted that no formal proposal had been presented to the PPP and maintained that the timing was not appropriate for such a discussion.
Sherry Rehman said her party believed in resolving national issues through political dialogue but stressed that the immediate focus should be on improving governance and strengthening institutions.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry defended Naqvi’s remarks, saying the interior minister had emphasized that meaningful reforms required political support and consensus.
Tallal said Naqvi’s comments were intended to encourage governance reforms rather than challenge the existing constitutional framework.
He added that the PML-N had consistently supported the idea of creating new provinces where necessary to improve administrative efficiency and public service delivery.
According to Tallal Chaudhry, governance should remain the primary criterion for any future administrative restructuring, arguing that reforms should be considered wherever existing systems fail to meet public needs.
The discussion has renewed debate over administrative reforms in Pakistan, although no formal proposal regarding the creation of new provinces or administrative units has been presented by the federal government.
