Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has renewed his call for a ‘reset‘ of Pakistan’s administrative system, arguing that the country’s population has expanded dramatically over 79 years while its governance structure has failed to keep pace with growing public needs.
Naqvi said Pakistan’s population has crossed 240 million and the country is now the world’s fifth-most populous nation. He questioned whether the existing administrative structure can effectively govern such a large and geographically diverse population.
“We are not ready to accept how much the country has expanded in 79 years,” Naqvi said, stressing that population growth and changing public needs require corresponding changes in the administrative structure.
He compared the situation to a growing family, saying that while one family may have lived in one house decades ago, growth eventually results in two, four and even eight separate households.
“Despite the increase in population and needs, we are still not ready to increase administrative units,” he said.
‘Why hasn’t another Lahore, Karachi or Peshawar emerged?’
Naqvi questioned why Pakistan’s major provinces have failed to develop multiple large urban centres.
“Why could no other major city develop in Balochistan apart from Quetta? Why has Khyber Pakhtunkhwa failed to develop another city like Peshawar? Why has Punjab not developed another major city comparable to Lahore? And why has Sindh not produced another city like Karachi?” he asked.
He said development, resources and government attention had become concentrated in a handful of major cities.
“Our entire focus is often on the city where we ourselves live,” Naqvi said, arguing that greater attention to other regions could have helped create new centres of development.
He said Punjab was so geographically large that reaching every part of the province was itself a major administrative challenge. Some areas, he added, require one to two hours of travel simply to reach them from within the province.
Naqvi said similar challenges existed in Balochistan because of its vast geographical size, making equal administrative attention across large provinces difficult.
‘Can one bureaucrat run a province of 140 million?’
Naqvi questioned whether a single administrative centre could effectively manage a province with around 140 million people. “Can all decisions for a province of 140 million people be made by one bureaucrat?” he asked.
He questioned whether one official sitting in a single city could realistically understand and address the problems of such a huge population.
Naqvi called for greater decentralisation and the transfer of powers to lower levels of government, saying education, health, policing and other public services should be administered at a level where officials can be held accountable.
“The government should be closer to the people, and decision-making should be faster,” he said.
‘79 years and millions still without basic services’
Naqvi said the existing system should ultimately be judged by the results it delivers to ordinary citizens. He pointed out that around 25 million children remain out of school and said four out of every 10 children still do not receive adequate nutrition.
He also claimed that only around 55% of Pakistanis have access to clean water, while approximately two million cases remain pending in courts.
“People are going around courts seeking justice,” he said. Naqvi argued that these problems cannot simply be blamed on one government. “This is not the result of one government. This is the collective result of 79 years,” he said.
He said governments change, policies are revised, budgets are announced and projects are launched, but the real question is how much the system ultimately delivers.
‘Reset does not mean breaking the system’
Naqvi clarified that his call for a “reset” was not aimed at the current government, any particular political party or a specific political arrangement.
“My indication was not towards any one political party or political setup,” he said. He explained that a reset meant correcting weaknesses rather than dismantling the system.
“Reset does not mean breaking the system. It means correcting what is wrong,” he said. Naqvi said Pakistan had enormous potential but was still failing to achieve the desired results.
He said the administrative system had lost its impact and that its benefits were not reaching ordinary citizens effectively.
Schools, hospitals and police ‘will not be cut’
Addressing concerns over the possible impact of new administrative units, Naqvi said creating new units should not mean reducing government employees or weakening public institutions.
He said the number of teachers, doctors and police personnel should not be reduced and that existing essential staff should remain in place. “The purpose of new administrative units is not to reduce staff but to empower them further,” he said.
Naqvi added that hospital infrastructure should not be dismantled as a result of administrative changes. Instead, greater local authority should allow hospitals and other public institutions to function more effectively.
He said education and healthcare institutions needed to become more effective at the local level, with administrative reforms aimed at improving rather than shrinking public services.
Bringing justice closer to citizens
Naqvi also linked administrative reform to access to justice. He said every political party talks about providing “justice at the doorstep”, but the existing system often leaves citizens travelling long distances and waiting years for judicial facilities.
He suggested that bringing High Court benches closer to the population could provide significant relief. “If High Court benches are brought closer to the people, access to justice can become easier,” he said.
Naqvi said establishing a High Court bench can sometimes take as long as 10 years, arguing that the lengthy process itself becomes a major obstacle for citizens seeking justice.
He said bringing judicial facilities closer to communities should be an important part of any broader administrative reform.
Population, resources and representation
Naqvi also questioned the relationship between population figures, government resources and political representation.
He said population increases can bring additional funds and representation, warning that this could create a “dangerous incentive” if higher population figures translate into greater financial and political benefits.
“If increasing population results in more funds and greater representation, it can become a dangerous incentive,” he said.
Naqvi questioned whether Pakistan was waiting for the consequences of such a system to become a larger crisis.
He said the mechanism for distributing resources and linking them to population should also be reviewed as part of any administrative “reset.”
‘New units are about governance, not identity’
Naqvi argued that the debate over new administrative units should not become a dispute over language, ethnicity or regional identity.
Referring to statements attributed to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on provincialism and regional divisions, he said the debate should remain focused on governance rather than identity.
“New administrative units should not be about taking anyone’s identity away,” Naqvi said. He argued that creating new units would not erase the identities of Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch or Pashtuns.
“We are not changing anyone’s identity. We are talking about changing the way we govern,” he said.
According to Naqvi, the central question should be whether administrative changes can bring government closer to citizens and improve public services.
Parliament and people should decide
Naqvi said the question of new administrative units should not be decided by one individual or political party.
He suggested that Pakistan could openly debate whether it needs 15, 19, 20 or even 30 administrative units, but said the number should be determined through evidence, expert analysis and public need rather than emotion.
He called for Parliament, the government, opposition parties, provincial governments, experts and other stakeholders to participate in the debate.
Every proposal, he said, should be examined for its administrative, constitutional and financial consequences. “The financial impact of new administrative units is one of the most important questions,” he said.
Naqvi stressed that reforms should not simply increase government expenditure. The objective should be to improve efficiency and public service delivery.
He said Parliament was the appropriate platform for a detailed discussion before the matter was ultimately taken to the people.
“If new administrative units should be created, their benefits should be presented to the people. If they should not be created, the reasons should also be explained,” he said.
‘The people must have the final say’
Naqvi reiterated that the final decision should reflect the will of the people. “If the people of Pakistan want new administrative units, they should be created. If the people do not want them, there should be no way for these administrative units to be created,” he said.
He said the issue was not about one person, one province or one political party, but about the future structure of governance in Pakistan.
“The decision will affect future generations,” Naqvi said, stressing that it should therefore not be taken hastily or emotionally.
‘Are Islamabad’s citizens not Pakistanis?’
Naqvi also reiterated his support for making Islamabad a province, questioning the current financial arrangement for residents of the federal capital. “I am the strongest supporter of making Islamabad a province,” he said.
He pointed out that Islamabad’s citizens do not receive a share from the National Finance Commission (NFC).
“Islamabad’s citizens do not get even one rupee from the NFC. Are Islamabad’s citizens not citizens of Pakistan?” he asked.
Focus on local economies and resources
Naqvi also linked administrative reform to economic development, arguing that smaller and more responsive administrative structures could help local industries and resources receive greater government attention.
He cited Chiniot’s furniture industry as an example, saying local administration could play a greater role in taking regional products to international markets.
He also called for greater attention to agriculture, minerals, gas and other local resources, saying large provinces make it difficult for governments to focus adequately on every region.
“New administrative units should be aimed at better management of resources and the development of local economies,” he said.
‘No unconstitutional action’
Naqvi repeatedly stressed that any administrative reforms would have to remain within the Constitution. “Nobody has said that any unconstitutional action should be taken,” he said.
“We have all taken an oath to protect the Constitution. We will not allow any unconstitutional action.”
He said significant reforms could be undertaken within the constitutional framework and called for political consensus and democratic debate.
Naqvi maintained that the purpose of an administrative “reset” was not to overthrow a government, target a political party or erase regional identities.
Instead, he said, the objective was to bring government closer to citizens, improve education, healthcare, policing and access to justice, strengthen local economies and determine whether Pakistan’s existing administrative structure is still capable of meeting the needs of a population that has grown dramatically over the past 79 years.
