BY: Kiran Shehzadi/ ANI
ISLAMABAD – Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Barrister Danyal Chaudhry, has said that administrative reforms are essential before considering the creation of new provinces, stressing that the goal of governance reforms should be to deliver better, faster, and more accessible services to citizens at their doorstep.
He was speaking at a policy workshop organized by SDPI in Islamabad, which was attended by Member National Assembly Noor Alam Khan, Asiya Ishaq Siddiqui, Zahoor Dhareeja, senior journalist Muhammad Malik, and former Mayor of Lahore Mian Aamer Mahmood.
Barrister Danyal said that while population growth and urban expansion demand more effective governance, creating new provinces alone is not a solution to administrative problems. He said the focus must instead be on making government institutions more responsive, transparent, and efficient in delivering essential services such as education, healthcare, policing, land records, and municipal facilities.
Referring to Article 140A of the Constitution, he said many governance challenges can be resolved by strengthening and empowering local governments, provided they are given adequate financial resources, administrative authority, and clear functional responsibilities.
The Parliamentary Secretary insisted that any proposal to create new provinces must be backed by a thorough financial impact assessment, as new provinces would require additional administrative structures and increase public expenditure. He called for a comprehensive five-to-ten-year financial review before making any such decision.
He added that changing provincial boundaries is a serious constitutional matter that requires both adherence to constitutional procedures and broad political consensus. He said all aspects including public representation, resource distribution, water availability, natural resources, and government assets must be carefully weighed before moving forward.
Barrister Danyal outlined a three-pronged approach to administrative reforms: first, strengthen local governments with resources and authority; second, empower regional administrations within large provinces with clear performance targets; and third, consider new provinces only through proper constitutional channels and where evidence supports better governance outcomes.
He concluded that Pakistan’s real need is stronger institutions, improved governance, and better service delivery — not just redrawing maps without meaningful reform.
