Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has suggested that a referendum be held on the creation of new provinces, arguing that voters, rather than an extended political standoff, should settle the question. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Naqvi said political parties may hold different views on the matter, but he called for public opinion to be sought so the debate can finally end.
Naqvi said that the country’s leaders often speak about democracy and the supremacy of the people, and he urged parties to consider a referendum. He said he would accept whatever the public decided, whether that meant creating the provinces or not. He added that the best solution was to take the opinion of the people.
Naqvi backs a public vote on new provinces
Naqvi said surveys and public discussions seemed to show support for creating new provinces. Even so, he maintained that the most suitable path was to formally ask the public for its view. He noted that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other parties already had their own positions, while some had not yet made their stance public.
He also said that any party believing a better mechanism than a referendum existed should put that proposal before the public as well. Naqvi stressed that a decision on such a politically sensitive issue would not be forced through unilaterally. He pointed to the PPP, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other coalition partners as important stakeholders in the government. According to him, nothing would move forward through disagreement, and any major decision would be taken collectively with the relevant political players.
Naqvi rejects claims of targeting over land notices
Responding to questions about notices issued over alleged encroachments, and about reports involving Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Naqvi rejected the suggestion that any single political figure was being singled out. He said notices had gone out to “five or six thousand” people and that the campaign had been discussed in the media for the past four to five months.
“The notices have not been issued only to Maulana Fazlur Rehman,” he said. Naqvi added that those affected would still have access to legal remedies. He also voiced concern about what he described as widespread illegal occupation of land in Islamabad, saying encroachment on the federal capital’s land had reached a scale he considered unprecedented. Those facing action, he said, could pursue their cases through legal channels.
Political reset and corruption accountability
Asked about political tensions and allegations of selective accountability, Naqvi said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also spoken about a possible reset in political affairs. Naqvi said his own view was that wider issues needed to be reset, and he said he and Bilawal appeared to be “almost on the same page” on the matter.
Naqvi argued that anti-corruption action should not be labelled political simply because it involved certain individuals or institutions. “If anyone says there is no corruption in Pakistan, then, with apologies, corruption exists across Pakistan,” he said. It was the government’s duty, he added, to identify corruption based on evidence and act against those responsible. He said the Interior Ministry was also acting within its own ranks despite efforts to maintain strict oversight, and that corruption should be acknowledged wherever it existed, including within the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Naqvi said law enforcement agencies were investigating major cases linked to the CDA and that authorities had taken action against a government officer. He said some officials had been removed or were facing further proceedings, and that the government wanted accountability to reach beyond politicians. He also urged caution about material circulating on social media, warning that videos and other content were sometimes repeatedly amplified in ways that could feed propaganda or misinformation.
NCCIA cases on alleged exam fraud and online pornography
Naqvi praised the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), saying its limited resources had put heavy pressure on its staff. He said the agency’s workforce was small compared with the size of the population and the scale of its responsibilities.
He highlighted what he called a major international examination fraud. He alleged that a gang had helped around 5,000 Pakistanis pass examinations linked to international institutes through dishonest means, and said authorities planned to act against both the gang and those who had benefited. Naqvi described the case as a serious scam that could have harmed Pakistan’s international interests had it not been uncovered. He credited NCCIA Director General Atif Ikram Sheikh and his team for the work.
Naqvi also said authorities had made 15 arrests over the past month in cases linked to an alleged online pornography business. He said the suspects were based in Pakistan, particularly Lahore, and were allegedly connected with international websites. Other cases involving alleged scams, call centres and child victims had also been investigated, he said. Stronger resources for cybercrime authorities, he argued, would help the government better control such activity and dismantle related networks operating from Pakistan.
