THE demand for creating new provinces in Pakistan has once again found its way into the national debate. Its supporters argue that smaller provinces would improve governance, accelerate development, and bring government closer to the people. While these claims may sound convincing, they are easier said than done. The proposal addresses the symptoms rather than the disease. Pakistan’s governance crisis stems not from the size of its provinces, but from weak institutions, excessive provincial centralisation, and the persistent failure to empower local governments. Changing the map will not change the mindset.
The 18th Constitutional Amendment marked a historic step towards decentra-lisation, its effect has rarely reached the districts, towns and villages. The real problem is not the number of provinces; it is the concentration of power within them. Provincial governments often demand autonomy from the federation, but hesitate to extend the same autonomy to local governments.
The Constitution itself points towards the real solution. Article 140-A obliges every province to establish an effective system of elected local governments and devolve political, administrative and financial authority to them. Unfortunately, this constitutional responsibility has been honoured more in words than in action. If the provinces are unwilling to empower district governments today, there is little reason to believe that creating additional provinces will suddenly produce better governance tomorrow.
Experiences from around the world do reinforce this line of argument. Countries renowned for efficient governance have focused on strengthening local institutions rather than multiplying administrative boundaries. Switzerland empowers its communes with extensive financial and administrative authority, allowing citizens to participate directly in local decision-making. Denmark improved public service delivery by strengthening municipalities instead of creating more regions.
Germany grants substantial powers to local governments, enabling them to manage essential public services efficiently. These examples demonstrate that good governance grows from the grassroots, not from redrawing political maps.
Even the experience of India offers an important lesson. New states, such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Telangana, were carved out with the hope of improving administration and promoting balanced development. Yet, the results have been rather mixed.
While some progress has been achieved in certain sectors, governance challenges such as corruption, political instability and uneven development continue to persist in several of these states. The lesson is actually simple: new boundaries alone do not lead to better governance; strong institutions do.
Instead of chasing the illusion that new provinces will solve longstanding problems, Pakistan should focus on what truly matters: empowering local governments, ensuring a transparent administration, strengthening accountability systems and delivering public services efficiently. District councils, municipal corporations and union councils are the institutions that interact with citizens on a daily basis. When these institutions are financially autonomous as well as administratively empowered, governance becomes more responsive.
In a nutshell, creating new provinces is not a silver bullet for Pakistan’s governance challenges. It risks deepening political divisions, increasing administrative costs, and diverting attention from the reforms that genuinely matter. The need of the hour is not to divide the existing provinces, but to distribute power.
Pakistan does not need more provincial capitals; it needs stronger local govern-ments, accountable institutions and sincere implementation of constitutional devolution. The road to progress lies in empowering people at the grassroots — not in drawing new lines on the map.
Sanaullah Mirani
Daharki
Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2026
