Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed his endorsement for the creation of new provinces on Saturday, emphasizing that such divisions should be based on administrative efficiency rather than ethnic or linguistic considerations. He highlighted the challenges of effectively governing the entire province solely from Quetta.

Speaking to journalists in Quetta, Bugti stressed that future provinces must be formed to enhance governance and administrative management. His comments come amid ongoing discussions about Pakistan’s administrative framework, where coalition partners Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) hold differing opinions on the formation of new provinces or administrative units.

The debate intensified following Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s remarks in July, where he described the governance system as having “collapsed” and called for structural reforms. These reforms include establishing new administrative units with greater powers devolved to lower levels of government. Naqvi later clarified that his criticism referred to the system’s decline over the past 80 years, not any specific government.

Bugti also reaffirmed the unity of Pakistan’s civil and military leadership in their firm stance against terrorism, dismissing any ambiguity regarding the state’s policy. He ruled out negotiations with armed groups opposing the state, emphasizing that terrorism is a nationwide challenge, not confined to any single province.

In a related development, on September 6, a high-level committee submitted a draft proposal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for establishing a 27-member elected assembly for the Islamabad Capital Territory. This assembly would be led by a chief executive and supported by 27 administrative departments.

On September 5, Interior Minister Naqvi reiterated his earlier assessment of the system being “completely destroyed,” clarifying again that this referred to the long-term deterioration rather than any current administration. He emphasized that the creation of new administrative units should reflect the people’s wishes, describing the moment as an opportunity for a system reset. Naqvi explained, “Reset does not mean breaking down the system. Reset means making wrongs right,” and added that work on new units would only proceed with popular support.

The discussion further expanded when Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal called for a national dialogue on Pakistan’s administrative structure, proposing the creation of 12 to 15 provinces to better address governance challenges.