Gohar Khan Backs New Provinces Amid Heated National Debate

PTI – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Gohar Khan new provinces comments have added fuel to an already heated political debate in Pakistan. The PTI chairman said on Thursday that new provinces are needed, but he made it clear that any such step must first win a two-thirds majority in the relevant assemblies.

He shared these views during a TV talk show. Along with his comments on provinces, he also said he doubts Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will finish his full five-year term in office.

This entire discussion did not start on its own. It began after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi spoke at a public event last week. He said Pakistan’s current system of governance has completely broken down. He argued that the old system can no longer fix the country’s growing problems.

Naqvi called for major administrative changes. He also pushed for the creation of new administrative units across the country. However, a day later, he clarified his stance. He said he was not blaming his own government. He explained that his remarks were about how the system has weakened over the last eight decades.

Naqvi believes that if governance had improved steadily over the years, Pakistan would be in a much stronger position today. He also denied rumors that his relationship with PM Shehbaz Sharif has turned sour.

Mixed Reactions From Political Parties

Not everyone agrees with this idea. The Pakistan Peoples Party has firmly rejected any talk of new provinces. Even some of Naqvi’s own party colleagues are not fully on board.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and PM’s adviser Rana Sanaullah have both stayed silent on backing the plan. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah went a step further. He strongly opposed any division of Sindh province.

He reminded everyone that the constitution already lays out a clear process. A province can only be divided if its own assembly passes a resolution with a two-thirds majority. He added that the Sindh Assembly has already rejected such proposals multiple times in the past.

Rana Sanaullah also spoke about Naqvi’s earlier statement. He said the comments were confusing and hard to follow. He mentioned that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has asked Naqvi to stop commenting further on this topic.

Sanaullah agreed that Pakistan’s constitution allows for the creation of smaller provinces. But he insisted that any decision must go through a proper national debate. He recalled that during PML-N’s rule in Punjab between 2013 and 2018, he personally proposed forming a commission to divide Punjab into two provinces.

He believes a national commission should now be set up. This body would study financial matters, assembly seats, and Senate representation for any new province.

Sanaullah also denied claims that any government body has set a deadline for creating new provinces. He called such reports completely false and baseless.

For now, the future of Pakistan’s provinces remains uncertain. Political leaders continue to disagree, and no formal decision has been announced yet.