ACROSS much of the developing world, rapid demographic growth is outstripping the outdated institutions designed to govern it. When state machinery built for smaller societies is forced to manage vastly larger, more urban and highly unequal populations, decision-making becomes dangerously distant from everyday reality.

Pakistan offers a stark case study in this governance gap. Since 1951, the nation’s population has expanded more than sevenfold. Yet, the country remains governed within the same basic four-province framework established decades ago. As a result, the average population per province sits at an extraordinary 60 million people, dwarfing international federal norms seen in nations like Indonesia, Nigeria and Brazil, where first-tier subnational units average between 5 and 8 million residents.

This structural mismatch creates severe internal distortions. Punjab alone is home to approximately 128 million residents whereas Balochistan covers nearly half the........

© Pakistan Observer