ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said efforts are underway to build consensus on creating new provinces and administrative units, and expressed hope that an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks, ARY News reported.
Speaking to the media, Khawaja Asif said consultations have been ongoing for several weeks, with the leadership of all four provinces and political parties inside and outside parliament being taken on board.
He said Pakistan’s political landscape would change rapidly if consensus was reached and new provinces were created. He expressed hope that some progress would emerge in 2026, adding that the new year could bring a new system.
The minister said the concerns of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would be addressed through consultations and expressed confidence that the process would not take much longer.
Referring to Afghanistan, Khawaja Asif said the country had increased the number of its provinces to 36, which had improved governance. He added that a new administrative structure should not make anyone feel politically victimised.
He said the 18th Amendment also envisaged local government laws, but their proper implementation could have improved governance and public service delivery. He described the current situation as the result of collective negligence.
Khawaja Asif said political and diplomatic matters were discussed behind closed doors until consensus was developed and all stakeholders were taken on board. He clarified that the establishment had not asked him to discuss changes to the administrative structure.
Regarding the Constitutional Court, he said it had the mandate to provide guidance on constitutional matters if required. However, he said he was unaware of the status of any referendum on the issue.
The minister also said he believed the recent meetings involving President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had included discussions on the concerns emerging from Sindh.
Khawaja Asif urges PTI founder to support new provinces
Speaking as a political worker, Khawaja Asif advised the PTI founder not to oppose the creation of new provinces and administrative units.
He said the PTI founder had no fundamental disagreement with the proposal and supporting it could provide him with an opportunity to return to mainstream politics.
He said PTI could pursue issue-based politics instead of putting everything at stake for one individual.
Recalling past political developments, Khawaja Asif said Nawaz Sharif had called a meeting in London over the extension of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, which he also attended.
He said the meeting reached a consensus that a way forward should be found, adding that the PML-N was subsequently given political space to return to the political process.
