Khawaja Asif Accuses PPP Of Double Standard On New Provinces

Khawaja Asif – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Khawaja Asif has taken a sharp jab at the Pakistan Peoples Party, accusing it of speaking from both sides of its mouth on the question of new provinces. In a post on X, the defence minister said the PPP has always shown warmth toward the idea of a Saraiki province whenever the topic comes up in Punjab.

But he pointed out something strange. The moment the conversation shifts toward creating more provinces or administrative units across the country, PPP leaders start bringing up Sindhudesh instead. Asif said he believes there is more to this pattern than meets the eye, though he chose not to spell it out just yet.

He was quick to add that regardless of political differences, everyone shares one identity first. His words were simple. We are Pakistanis, first and last.

جب پنجاب میں سرائیکی صوبے کی بات ھوتی ھے تو پیپلز پارٹی اسکی حمایت کرتی ھے یا اس ایشو پر نرم گوشہ ظاہر کرتی ھے۔ اور جب چار کی جگہ multiple صوبوں یا انتظامی یونٹوں کی بات ھوتی ھے تو سندھو دیش کی بات شروع ھو جاتی۔ میں PPP کی اس دورخی پالیسی کے پیچھے کچھ اور دیکھتا ھوں ۔ کسی وقت آنے…

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) September 4, 2026

The minister also used the moment to push for real action on the 18th Amendment. He said the law promised devolution years ago, but that promise has never truly been honored on the ground.

According to Asif, the current setup carries too much power in too few hands. He believes it is time to hand authority down to smaller levels of government so that democracy can actually reach ordinary people.

He floated an idea worth noting. Pakistan already has 36 divisions, and these could form the backbone of a fresh administrative map, or the country could design something entirely new. Either way, he insisted change is coming whether people are ready or not.

His comments land right in the middle of a heated national debate, one that has pulled in other top officials with very different visions for how Pakistan should be governed going forward.