ISLAMABAD: Ahsan Iqbal is the first PML-N Federal Minister who have suggested the creation of 15 more provinces in Pakistan for better governance.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called for 15 more provinces for major changes to governance system to address worsening social indicators and improve public service delivery.
Speaking at a consultative session on governance reforms for Islamabad, Iqbal said the current federal and provincial structure had failed to deliver effective governance.
He argued that Pakistan needed either 15 additional provinces or 160 fully empowered district governments to strengthen administration across the country.
According to Iqbal, Pakistan has only 1,170 public offices serving around 260 million people, limiting citizens’ access to effective governance.
He said local governments should create between 150,000 and 200,000 public offices to address people’s problems at the grassroots level.
“If politicians will not do anything, the events will take over,” Iqbal warned.
Need for third government tier
Iqbal said Pakistan’s democratic system could not function properly without a strong third tier of government.
He noted that the federal government transferred 17 subjects to provinces in 2010, but provinces failed to devolve responsibilities to local governments.
Article 140-A provides for local governments, but Iqbal said it lacks sufficient detail on their administrative, financial and political empowerment.
He added that social indicators continued to decline despite greater provincial resources under the National Finance Commission.
Islamabad governance structure proposed
Iqbal also presented a draft governance structure for the Islamabad Capital Territory, which still requires Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s approval.
The proposal would establish an Islamabad Capital Territory Government and an elected 27-member ICT Assembly.
The assembly could include 21 directly elected members, five women on reserved seats and one minority representative.
However, the federal government would retain responsibility for law enforcement and the city’s master planning.
Iqbal said the recent PIMS fire highlighted the urgent need for governance reforms in Islamabad.
He said administrative responsibilities remain fragmented among the CDA, Municipal Corporation of Islamabad and the Ministry of Industries.
The proposed reforms aim to provide Islamabad’s residents with stronger representation and clearer administrative authority.
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