While the creation of new provinces is undeniably one of the most consequential questions ignored by the state since its inception in 1947, it must be recognised that the creation of new provinces is “not a decision but a process”. One of the foremost prerequisites for undertaking this process is to avoid rendering an already sensitive question unnecessarily controversial. Understanding and acknowledging the political and ethnic sensitivities intertwined with the subject is unavoidable. It is vital that the state ensures broad political and affected-community consensus, confronts the ethnic question, and takes into account the administrative and territorial rationale for provincial reorganisation. Above all, human flourishing must remain its ultimate objective. The state must therefore resist the temptation to act in haste.

As a lifelong proponent of the creation of new provinces in Pakistan, I had the opportunity to engage extensively with the leadership of political parties across the spectrum, large and small, national and regional, as well as ethnic, linguistic and sub-nationalist groups throughout the country. These interactions helped me to gain substantial firsthand insight........

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