Recommendations sought from committee for creation of new province in south Punjab: Qureshi

E-Paper | May 13, 2026

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said a committee has been set up to develop political consensus over the creation of a new province in south Punjab, Radio Pakistan reported.

Qureshi said the establishment of a separate province in south Punjab was part of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's manifesto and that the committee has been constituted as no single party was in a position to bring a constitutional amendment and pave way for the creation of a new province.

The foreign minister, while talking to media persons in Multan, said the committee will deliberate on the matter and come up with recommendations, which would then be put before the opposition parties.

Qureshi, on behalf of the PTI government, requested the opposition parties to rise above politics and take a decision based on objective reality and considering the needs of the people.

Replying to a question, Qureshi said that in the past All Parties Conference (APC) were convened over an agenda but the APC being proposed by the opposition parties this time does not have an agenda, which is beyond everyone’s comprehension.

Earlier on Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had constituted a 12-member executive council for the creation of south Punjab province on Friday.

According to a letter issued on October 22, former MNA Chaudhry Tahir Bashir Cheema has been appointed as chairman of the council, while its members include Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Mazari, Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry, MPAs Sahibzada Ghazain Abbasi, Syed Ali Abbas Shah, Sardar Shahabuddin Khan Seehar, Sardar Javed Akhtar Khan Lund and Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmed Khan, former MPA Mina Ehsan Leghari, agriculturalist Sardar Ali Raza Dareshak and three former civil bureaucrats.

According to the provincial government, the council will identify all possible issues pertaining to the creation of a separate province and engage all relevant departments to provide assistance where required, address all legislative matters concerning the creation of the province with the support of law and parliamentary affairs department, engage all relevant stakeholders to muster their support for the task, develop consensus, coordinate all matters with the federal committee on the creation of south Punjab province and any other ancillary matter related to the purpose.

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SMI

Oct 28, 2018 07:02pm

Not only in Punjab consider to create more provinces if required for easy administration

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NACParis

Oct 28, 2018 07:15pm

Why take opposition into confidence well knowing that they will reject any proposal for the fear of loosing popularity.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Oct 28, 2018 07:37pm

No thought about removing the miseries being suffered by the inhabitants of any other provinces who are denied their basic rights by manipulation of votes through any means possible, be they legal or illegal. Political decisions rule the system instead of providing justice to all the people in the country.

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Starr

Oct 28, 2018 07:41pm

People of South Punjab will even get less than they are getting now. Only benefishry will be elites of South Punjuab in terms of becoming ministers and ministers of states and that will increase the administrative costs which will be borne by the common people. There will be benefits for the people but the costs will outweigh the benefits.

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Jjacky

Oct 28, 2018 07:46pm

So u never had formula and creating a new province was empty slogan just to win elections.

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Magnanimous approach

Oct 28, 2018 07:59pm

Good development. Please don’t forget another simmerings the Urban Sindh fiasco since long the civilized well educated law abiding citzens of Karachi, Hyderabad,Nawaz Shah,Mirpurkhas, are tolerating discrimination from feudal society based on Rural Sindh. Its correct time to allow another Urban Province of Sindh, so that the urban population may lookafter their affairs independently, and their destiny as per their aspirations. The development funds be divided according to population genuine census.

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Javed

Oct 28, 2018 08:00pm

No province in a federation should be more than 49% of the electorate. Period.

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Nawaz

Oct 28, 2018 08:11pm

Existing provincial ministries should be reviewed and reduced or merged with other ministries to save resources. For example, the ministry of women development may be merged with the Education and Local government and communities ministries with the addition of special women development wings in those ministries. As the provincial ministers and their respective ministries are responsible for the performance of their departments, there is no need for the Chief Minister’s inspection team which is a burden on the exchequer. Surplus staff from the Governor’s secretariat, Chief Minister’s inspection team and redundant ministries may be posted in the new southern Punjab province.

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ABBY

Oct 28, 2018 08:11pm

Pakistan need more provinces. It will reduce corruptions and easy to control. Province should get more power on Provincial taxes.

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Tazmin Nawaz

Oct 28, 2018 08:31pm

Who is going to pay for expenses for new province?. Parliamentary form of governance in Pakistanis burden due to large number of MNAs/MPA, their staff. Pakistan should revert back to Presidential form of governance. This form of governance is not new to Pakistan.

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Nawaz

Oct 28, 2018 08:35pm

To reduce costs and bureaucracy and to increase efficiency, decentralisation of the Police department should be piloted in the new province, with the independent Police authorities being set up at the divisional levels under the provincial Home departments. These Police authorities should have their own budgets and performance targets. They should be expected to develop close working relationships between them and share best practice. They should also work closely with the local governments to maintain law and order. There shouldn't be any need for IG roles in the new reformed police set up.

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Sami

Oct 28, 2018 08:50pm

If we see the size of Pakistan we need atleast 30 more provinces.

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Omeros

Oct 28, 2018 09:00pm

Sir, I would please strongly like to suggest via Dawn daily online, that apart from Southern Punjab , a number of other provinces be also created in Pakistan. Punjab itself can easily be divided into 3 i.e North, Central and Southern Punjab and DI Khan should be taken from NWFP/KPK and joined to South Punjab; while former FATA and Pasthun areas of Baluchistan are merged with KPK. At the same time, Hazara division can be removed from KPK and made part of ICT /Capital area while Chitral can be merged with Gilgit-Baltistan province. So called 'AJK' can be also made a full Pakistani province (to be realistic) and Sindh can be also divided into Upper Sindh province and Lower Sindh province, with Karachi having full, separate provincial status itself, too. That will give us 12 or 13 rational,manageable units, please. Thanks.

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anwarsher

Oct 28, 2018 09:01pm

This guy never closes his mouth.

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dipstick

Oct 28, 2018 09:04pm

So why is the Foreign Minister taking lead role on Matter that has nothing to do with Foreign policy?

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Nawaz

Oct 28, 2018 09:39pm

When country is facing a financial crunch, careful planning and financial management and radical reformation of the administrative and local govt systems can help fulfil the promise of a new province. Governors, whose offices are relics of Raj should be replaced with federal ministers for inter-provincial coordination for all the provinces to serve as bridges between federal govt and provinces. In UK, there are Secretaries of state for devolved administrations: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A consensus may be developed to abolish the office of Governor through a constitutional amendment. Provincial legislation may be ratified by president instead of Governors. In Scotland, a bill becomes law once it's agreed by Scottish Parliament and then by the Queen. Empowerment of local govts will significantly reduce costs of running provincial govts. PAS roles in the current form should be done away with and brought under local govts to implement the local govt laws and policies.

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ali ahmed

Oct 28, 2018 11:14pm

Why not in Sindh?..By creating 2 provinces in Punjab...there will added benefits more senate seats

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Khurram

Oct 28, 2018 11:28pm

More provinces, more ministers.

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Maria enteparia onnuchoriu

Oct 28, 2018 11:28pm

Why?

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Khalid iqbal

Oct 28, 2018 11:51pm

South Punjab province will create new growth in the south of Punjab , this new economic activity will inject growth in the adjacent areas of Sind , increase in further congestion of Lahore will slow down , as new metropolis will be built in southern Punjab .similarly creating provinces in Sind will have a similar effect , there will be an increase in economic activity, and control and choke hold of waderas and chaudries will reduce .

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Ahsan Gul

Oct 29, 2018 12:21am

Let not make this a political circus and think above party lines. Big province Punjab can better be served by division and decentralized approach. Government serve their citizens.

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Philosopher (From Japan)

Oct 29, 2018 12:45am

New province means more ministers chief minister secretaries and list goes on and on. Better to earn some money first then do all these dreams.

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Javed

Oct 29, 2018 12:57am

Very urgent and time of need is to make boluchistan into three provinces. At least one of the three will work for the betterment of the boluchy people. Right now corruption is The only reason boluchistan can’t be prosperous. And it will also break down insurgency. Boluchistan is too big to be province.

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Hope.

Oct 29, 2018 01:00am

It's a shame thinking to divide Punjab, the prosperous and most peaceful province in Punjab. Try creating Haza province from KPK, and Fata as a separate province which is more logical and then easy to govern, Dividers will be dealt with the wrath of people.

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Danish

Oct 29, 2018 01:17am

@dipstick it matters to him the most, with Multan being the provincial capital, who do u think is the strongest candidate to be the CM of new province, off course SMQ would like to further tighten his grip over south Punjab province, if not the whole Punjab, he wanted tp be the CM of Punjab Govt.

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Alam

Oct 29, 2018 02:41am

There is no need of more assemblies and provinces in Pakistan. Put your energies in something more progressive.

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Alam

Oct 29, 2018 02:46am

@Magnanimous approach Your comment is full of discrimination. Do you really think that only urban people are civilized and law abiding? Can you please go through the crime rate of urban areas and rural areas? Sindh will never accept any division, it will only bring more hate and violence.

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anwarsher

Oct 29, 2018 03:43am

@Ahsan Gul For the first time I have to agree with Mr. Ahsan Gul.

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javed

Oct 29, 2018 05:41am

Creation of South Punjab Province with capital MULTAN is long overdue. Must be created asap.

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Swiss Neutral

Oct 29, 2018 06:18am

Single most important thing, Pakistan need to concentrate is, to improve its financial income so that it does not dependent on foreign loans. Everything else can wait.

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A&A

Oct 29, 2018 06:49am

@Jjacky They have the WILL, formula can be created any time?

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SHAHID SATTAR

Oct 29, 2018 10:46am

It is only the birth right of the foreign minister of the country to speak about the interior matters of the country. The interior minister's job is to discuss and opine about any foreign matters.

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