Pakistan today faces a governance crisis that cannot be ignored.

The economic slowdown, environmental shocks, and the growing gap between citizen needs and state capacity have made one reality stark: our provincial structure is too large and unwieldy to serve 240 million people. The idea of creating more provinces is not a political slogan but an urgent administrative necessity.

This was the central theme at the recent Indus Conclave hosted by the Punjab Group. In a panel on administrative and governance reforms, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail explained how over-centralization is choking Pakistan’s economy. When provincial capitals hold excessive financial and political authority, districts remain dependent and underdeveloped. Local solutions never materialize because decision-making is stuck far away.

Miftah highlighted Pakistan’s low ranking on the Human Development Index and its lagging performance on the Sustainable Development Goals. He argued that meaningful progress was impossible without empowering local administrations and reducing provincial monopolies over governance and resources. His remarks reignited debate on the need for a more decentralized system — one where smaller provinces could take charge of their development priorities. It is in this broader context that former Mayor of Lahore, MianAmerMehmood’s long-standing proposal for creating 33 provinces has gained renewed........

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