Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has said that Pakistan will “definitely” see new, smaller provinces in the future, arguing that the move would strengthen governance and improve public service delivery.
Speaking at the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) workers’ convention in Sheikhupura on Sunday night, the minister said that forming additional provinces would help establish better administrative control and bring the government closer to the people.
Aleem Khan suggested that Sindh and Punjab could each be divided into three provinces, while similar administrative restructuring could also be introduced in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“All neighbouring countries around us have several small provinces,” he said, adding that Pakistan should also consider adopting the same approach for more efficient governance.
However, the idea of new provinces, particularly in Sindh, remains politically sensitive. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a major coalition partner at the Centre, has repeatedly and strongly rejected any move to divide Sindh.
Last month, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah warned that the PPP would not tolerate any attempt that goes against the province’s interests. His comments came after the MQM-Pakistan indicated it would pursue new provinces through the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
CM Murad dismissed such proposals outright, saying: “Except for Allah, no one has the power to divide Sindh.”
During his address, Aleem Khan also praised Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, saying the military leadership had given India a “humiliating defeat” in this year’s armed confrontation.
The Pakistan-India clash, one of the most serious in decades, erupted following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam area — an attack New Delhi linked to Pakistan. Islamabad rejected the allegation and called for a neutral investigation.
During the confrontation, Pakistan shot down seven Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, as well as dozens of drones. The conflict ended after 87 hours, when a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on May 10.
