Khawaja Asif Calls for New Provinces in PakistanPakistan

The distinction Asif drew was between units drawn on administrative grounds and units drawn on linguistic grounds. Administrative units, in his telling, are shaped by the practical work of governing — how services are delivered, how far people must travel, and how quickly decisions can be taken — while linguistic divisions follow the lines of language. His argument was that the first approach had delivered results where it had been tried, and that Pakistan should follow it.

The defence minister said the country’s population had increased manyfold since the existing administrative structure was put in place, and that this growth alone made more administrative units inevitable. As the population grows, he argued, the distance between the citizen and the administration grows with it, and new units are needed to close that gap.

Asif also spoke about the pressures facing the country, saying Pakistan is currently facing threats from two fronts, on both sides. He placed his call for administrative reform against that backdrop, presenting stronger and more responsive local administration as part of the answer to the challenges confronting the country.

He urged the nation to trust the current leadership, describing it as including wise and capable figures. The people, he said, must have confidence in those at the helm, and that confidence would help the country navigate the difficulties it faces.

In his remarks, Asif returned repeatedly to the idea that administration should reach the citizen rather than the citizen having to reach the administration. New provinces, in his argument, would shorten that distance: local issues would be settled locally, public services would be closer at hand, and the people of each area would feel the presence of government in their daily lives. That, he said, is what would make them more prosperous.