THE disconnect between the government and public concerns could not be starker. While people worry about their economic situation the government is focused on altering the country’s provincial structure. According to the latest Ipsos poll, three in four people believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. The economy and especially inflation are their top concerns. A majority of respondents also said they do not view the economy as strong.

It is this low public confidence and pessimism about the future that should concern the government rather than seeking to redraw the provincial map for ill-defined objectives. So far it hasn’t offered any coherent rationale for carving out more provinces. It has also not conducted any study on an issue of such consequence.

Although speculation had long been rife about the hybrid government’s intentions it was Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi who made a public pitch for new provinces in July. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal went further, calling for 15 additional provinces. Each province, he said, should be subdivided into three. As an alternative, he proposed 160 district governments. He argued that establishing more administrative units would deliver effective governance and better social outcomes.

The proposal provoked a furious response from the ruling party’s ally, PPP, which opposed any plan to divide Sindh. The party got the Sindh Assembly to adopt a resolution rejecting the division of the province or creation of new administrative units. The MQM, which has long wanted Karachi as a separate province, boycotted the session. It said its proposals were not incorporated in the resolution, including establishing new administrative units. The resolution declared........

© Dawn