MQM-P Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has announced that his party will approach other political groups to initiate a “grand national dialogue” on the creation of new provinces and administrative units across Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Mr Siddiqui said the country’s existing provincial structure was based largely on linguistic considerations and that population growth had created a need for additional administrative units.
He said the MQM-P had been advocating the creation of new provinces for decades and welcomed growing support from various political parties and groups for the proposal.
“We will talk to various political parties — a grand national dialogue is needed regarding their suggestions and reservations on the matter,” he said, adding that the MQM-P was taking the initiative.
Mr Siddiqui clarified that the party was not seeking new provinces only in Sindh but across the country, although he maintained that the case for creating additional provinces was particularly strong in Sindh.
He also linked the issue to the implementation of Article 140-A of the Constitution, which requires provinces to devolve political, administrative and financial authority to elected local governments.
The MQM-P leader criticised the lack of progress on local government empowerment, saying implementation of Article 140-A was a constitutional requirement rather than merely a demand of his party.
He said the party had previously approached the Supreme Court over the matter and vowed to engage lawyers again to seek action over what he described as disregard of the court’s ruling.
Mr Siddiqui argued that the method for creating new provinces could be debated, but questioned whether existing provinces should have the sole authority to decide on their own division.
MQM-P leader and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the demand for new administrative units was aimed at “administrative rearrangement” rather than division.
He argued that governance structures needed to be changed to give citizens greater control over their local leadership and improve service delivery.
The MQM-P leaders also welcomed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent call for the creation of additional administrative units, describing it as an indication that the issue was gaining wider political attention.
The demand for new provinces has gained momentum in recent weeks, with several political parties and officials calling for administrative reforms to address governance challenges and accommodate the country’s growing population.
The MQM-P has long demanded that Karachi be made a separate province, a proposal strongly opposed by the PPP-led Sindh government. Meanwhile, the PPP and PTI have previously supported the creation of a South Punjab province.
The debate has also intensified following calls from senior government and military officials for an administrative restructuring, though building political consensus on the creation of new provinces remains a major challenge.
