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September 04, 2026
Ahsan Iqbal Proposes 15 New Provinces for Better GovernanceIslamabad: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday called for a fundamental restructuring of Pakistan's governance system, saying the country must either create 15 more provinces or establish 160 fully empowered district governments to address its deteriorating social indicators.
Speaking at a consultative session with media representatives on proposed governance reforms for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the minister said the existing two-tier system of federal and provincial governments had failed to deliver effective governance and improve social outcomes.
The minister went on to say that Pakistan's democracy was "monopolized" as there were only 1,170 public offices to cater for the needs of a 260 million population, adding that people's problems could not be resolved unless 150,000 to 200,000 public offices were created through local governments.
"If politicians will not do anything, the events will take over," Iqbal said.
Iqbal, who is also the secretary general of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is the first senior cabinet member to back the need for changes to the existing governance structure following remarks by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
However, Iqbal clarified that he had first raised the need for new provinces in a newspaper article in June 2025.
Pakistan's democratic governance system cannot function smoothly without a fully functional third tier of government, said Iqbal.
The federal government devolved 17 subjects to the provinces in 2010, but the provinces did not devolve even one subject to local governments, he added.
Article 140-A of the Constitution provides for the third tier of local government, but the provision is vague and requires further elaboration on how to ensure its administrative, financial and political empowerment. Iqbal said that India has 28 provinces and Afghanistan has 34.
"If we are not ready to make new provinces, then there is no option except having 160 district governments, as all social indicators have deteriorated despite the transfer of additional resources under the National Finance Commission."
The minister also shared the proposed new administrative and governance structure for the ICT, but it is still at the draft stage and requires the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Iqbal said the ICT's administrative structure was based on a presidential order, leaving 2.6 million citizens without a voice in the affairs of the capital city.
Currently, bureaucrats are the masters of the capital city. A Grade-20 officer serves as both chairman of the Capital Development Authority and Chief Commissioner of Islamabad.
He lamented the vacuum in the existing administrative structure regarding the approval of the budget and legislation for the ICT. – The Express Tribune
Courtesy The Express Tribune
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