KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui announced a nationwide initiative to start a grand dialogue on creating new provinces.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Siddiqui urged political parties to discuss their proposals and reservations about forming new administrative units.
He said Pakistan’s existing provinces did not fully reflect legal requirements and largely emerged along linguistic lines.
Moreover, he argued that population growth had strengthened the need for additional provinces and better administrative structures.
Siddiqui welcomed support from political parties and groups for MQM-P’s long-standing demand for more provinces.
Nationwide Dialogue Proposed
The MQM-P chairman said his party would contact political parties to begin a grand national dialogue on the issue.
He stressed that the party supported new provinces wherever public and political backing existed across the country.
However, Siddiqui said the case for creating new provinces remained strongest in Sindh because of its administrative and population challenges.
He also highlighted Article 140-A, which requires provinces to transfer political, administrative and financial powers to elected local governments.
Siddiqui admitted that MQM-P had supported the 18th Amendment but criticised the failure to fully implement Article 140-A.
He recalled that the party had approached the Supreme Court over the issue, resulting in a detailed ruling applicable across Pakistan.
Furthermore, he said stronger local governance had become a national necessity rather than merely an MQM-P political demand.
Siddiqui maintained that implementing Article 140-A would allow ordinary Pakistanis to benefit more directly from democratic governance.
