Lahore: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan’s population has grown and new administrative units should be created.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Khawaja Asif said many countries around the world create administrative units, and Pakistan should also consider the idea.
He recalled that in the past all provinces were merged into One Unit, but the decision was later reversed.
He said that with the country’s growing population, ensuring the delivery of services to the public has become essential.
He noted that Afghanistan once had 8 to 10 provinces, which were later divided into 30 to 32.
The defence minister said power should not remain concentrated in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar, and that the powers of provincial capitals should be transferred to administrative units.
He said funds transferred from the centre are left at the mercy of provincial governments, even though their real destination is local government bodies, which themselves are also at the mercy of the provinces.
Khawaja Asif said politicians should realise that power is a trust of the people, but their approach is that they want to exercise all powers themselves.
He said that if there is a proposal to create 12 administrative units, then 12 should be created, but their formation should not be based on language, ethnicity or political interests.