- Minister says new provinces to strengthen administrative control.
- KP, Balochistan could be divided into three provinces each: minister.
- The minister says that neighboring countries have several small provinces.
SHEIKHUPURA: Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that small provinces will “definitely” be created.
Addressing the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) workers’ convention in Sheikhupura on Sunday night, the federal minister said the move would help strengthen “administrative control” and provide better services to citizens.
Creation of three provinces in Sindh and Punjab would benefit the public, he said, adding that three provinces could also be formed in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
“All the neighboring countries around us have several small provinces,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), a key ally of the PML-N at the centre, has long strongly opposed the idea of new provinces.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had warned last month that the PPP would not accept any measures against the interests of his province or Pakistan.
CM Murad’s comments came days after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) indicated that it would use all legal and democratic means to seek new provinces through the impending 28th Amendment.
CM Murad had said, “Stop worrying about rumors about creation of new provinces and division of Sindh.”
Earlier, the Sindh CM had outright ruled out discussions on creation of new provinces, saying, “The talk of new provinces – listen to it with one ear and let it pass through the other, except Allah, no one has the power to divide Sindh.”
On the occasion, the minister praised Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and said that under his leadership, Pakistan Army had handed India a humiliating defeat.
Earlier this year, Pakistan and India engaged in a military standoff, the worst between the old enemies in decades, which was sparked by a terror attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of IIOJK, which New Delhi alleged was backed by Pakistan.
Islamabad denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 men, and offered to take part in a neutral investigation into the deadly incident.
During the clashes, Pakistan shot down seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.
