Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has backed the creation of new provinces in Pakistan, saying even 12 could be considered, provided they are established on administrative rather than ethnic or political grounds. He was speaking to Geo News in Sialkot on Sunday.

“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 said. He said the proposal to create new provinces had been under discussion for the past two months, with opinions emerging from across the country.

Asif argued that Pakistan’s growing population required smaller administrative units and a more effective system of governance. He said power should not remain concentrated in provincial capitals such as Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar, and called instead for administrative powers to be transferred to smaller units so public services reach people more effectively.

The defence minister also criticised how financial resources are distributed, saying funds transferred from the Centre remained at the discretion of provincial governments even though they were ultimately intended for local government institutions, which themselves remained dependent on provincial authorities. “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, Asif 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, saying its provinces had been increased from around eight or ten to more than 30.

His remarks come amid reports that a proposal to reorganise Pakistan into 12 provinces is under consideration, with Punjab divided into four, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan into three each, and Sindh into two, and a nationwide referendum envisaged ahead of a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment. No final decision has been taken on boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process, and the debate has run since July, when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi argued the governance system had collapsed, with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal proposing 12 to 15 provinces in September.