INTERIOR Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s proposal for more provinces wasn’t the first time someone close to the establishment made the suggestion. However, this time a stated motivation was also provided: namely, the complete collapse of the existing governance system. While much has been written about this issue, it has largely been theoretical and speculative, with the closest real-world examples coming from other countries. The problem with those examples is that, while informative, they mostly exist in a context very different to Pakistan’s, making it difficult to draw parallels. But an example closer to home can help us predict better. The last time Pakistan’s internal borders were redrawn was in 2018 with Fata’s merger with KP through the 25th Amendment.

A similarly stated motivation for the merger was given at the time — the utter collapse of the old Fata governance system. That system has been blamed for the militant takeover in many parts of Fata (now called the merged districts). Many also hold it responsible for erstwhile Fata’s extremely poor human development indices compared to the Pakistani average. The merger with KP, and thus the extension of KP’s institutional structures, laws, and systems, was deemed necessary to resolve Fata’s problems. Another proclaimed benefit was that the merger would bring the government closer to the public. The state believed that the militants had filled the void created by an unresponsive government. So, in many ways, the motivation to merge rested on two beliefs: first, to replace an old, collapsed system with one offering better governance;........

© Dawn