THE renewed debate over creating more provinces in Pakistan reflects genuine public frustration with weak services, distant decision making and unequal development. But the discussion often begins with a sweeping claim that the system has failed. Before redrawing provincial boundaries, Pakistan must identify which parts of the system have failed, why they failed and how a new structure would prevent the same weaknesses from returning.

The failure is not one-dimensional. It may lie in political governance, including unstable governments, weak parties and ineffective parliamentary oversight. It may lie in administrative performance, visible in overcentralized bureaucracy, poor services and weak financial management. It may also lie in institutional imbalance, where authority overlaps, responsibility remains unclear and accountability is limited. These are different problems and require different remedies.

There are valid arguments for creating new provinces. Pakistan’s population exceeds 241 million and is administered mainly through four provinces. In many areas, citizens remain far removed from provincial capitals and struggle to access administrative, health, education and development services. Smaller units could improve representation, shorten administrative distance and allow greater focus on neglected regions.

Yet a new province would not automatically be better governed. If it inherits the same political interference, centralized bureaucracy, weak accountability, unequal development and poor financial discipline, Pakistan........

© Pakistan Observer