Last Updated on August 21, 2026 by YeJahan
YJ DESK
ISLAMABAD(Aug 17, 2026): Federal Minister for Defense Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj has hinted that the decision to create new provinces in Pakistan has been taken. Speaking on a program of a private news channel on Monday, Harraj ruled out the option of creating new administrative units as being propagated by different quarters in Pakistan.
“There will be no Adha Teetar Adha Batair (half-measures); and there will be no administrative units, only new provinces will be created across the country,” he maintained, adding, “as far as the number of new provinces are concerned, it is up to the political parties to decide how many of them they want.”
Another strong voice that advocated empowering local government system came from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif who took to his X account to tweet: “Empowering local government is actually strengthening democracy at the grassroots level. Empowered local governments will create a robust democratic ethos, and the spirit of the 18th Amendment will be respected.”
Meanwhile, in Islamabad, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute organized a debate under the banner “Should new administrative units be created in the country?”.
Pakistan People’s Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, former advisor to the information ministry of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Saif, and Jamaat-e-Islami(JI) leader Liaquat Baloch attended the session.
Participating in the debate, Qamar Zaman Kaira said: “it is good to discuss creation of new prvinces but we will have to work under the ambit of the constitution.”
Mustafa Kamal was of the view that the constitution allows the creation of new provinces. He said four chief ministers were given Rs 8,884 billion but there is no mechanism for letting this money pass on to the lower level. Education expert Mian Amir also participated in the discussion. He praised the Local Government System, adding tha establishing new provinces will save money and improve the governance system.
