The sudden enthusiasm for carving Pakistan into no less than 37 provinces is being sold as a solution to political instability and weak governance. The claim is that smaller provinces would improve service delivery and reduce the gap between state and society. No doubt, the argument is tempting. But is it the real answer to Pakistan’s governance crisis?

Will more provinces automatically instill respect for the Constitution and acceptance of the people’s mandate? How can simply dividing Pakistan’s four provinces into many more suddenly end the hybrid system and allow democratic principles to take root? And will unelected forces truly step back to let political parties call the shots?

The truth is that Pakistan’s governance crisis does not stem from having too few provinces. It comes from our refusal to respect the Constitution, which already provides for a three-tier system designed to bring the state to people’s doorsteps.
Article 140-A requires each province to establish local governments with “political, administrative and financial responsibility”. In other words, Pakistan already has the framework for a responsive, decentralised model. The tragedy is that the policymakers over the years have treated these constitutional clauses as optional.

Consider Punjab. With over 127 million people, it is not only Pakistan’s largest province but also one of the largest administrative units in the world. Punjab last held local government elections in 2015. When councils were elected, their budgets were kept under the thumb of deputy commissioners,........

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