Key facts
- A report by the Global Think Tank Network argues Pakistan's governance crisis stems from weak institutions and a lack of empowered local governments.
- The report contends that redrawing provincial boundaries would increase non-development expenditure and risk entrenching elite capture.
- Supporters of new provinces believe smaller units would bring government closer to the people and improve representation.
- Opponents of new provinces fear they could deepen ethnic and political divisions without fixing underlying problems.
- The 18th Amendment shifted powers from Islamabad to provinces, but power often stopped at provincial capitals and did not consistently devolve to local governments.
- Article 140A requires provinces to establish local governments with devolved authority, but these often remain weak and dependent on provincial governments.
Pakistan's ongoing debate about creating new provinces is misguided, according to a report by the Global Think Tank Network (GTTN). The report, titled "The Mirage of New Provinces: Why Pakistan Needs Local Government Reform, Not Territorial Fragmentation," argues that the country's governance crisis is rooted in the absence of effective institutions and empowered local governments, rather than the size or number of its existing provinces.
Proponents of new provinces often frame the idea as an administrative fix to bring governance closer to the people, address regional inequities, and alleviate the burden on overcentralized provincial capitals. They believe smaller provinces would improve representation and give neglected regions a stronger political voice. However, opponents fear that such fragmentation could deepen ethnic and political divisions without resolving the fundamental issues.