Pakistan is reportedly considering its biggest administrative shake-up since 1947. According to a report by The Economist, there is a plan to break the country’s four provinces into 12 to 15 smaller units. The report says Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is pushing the idea behind the scenes.
The argument for the plan is that the current provinces are too large to govern well. Supporters say smaller units would bring government closer to the people and improve public services. Critics, however, see it as a move that could shift the balance of political power in the country.
The Size Problem
Pakistan has had the same four provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — since independence. But the gap between them is huge and growing. Punjab is home to about 128 million people, more than half of the country’s population.
Balochistan, by contrast, covers the largest land area but has only about 15 million residents, the report noted. Running such different units under one system creates constant friction over resources, jobs and development funds, according to the report.
Political Stakes
The proposed changes could reshape political power in major ways. Punjab and Sindh are the main strongholds of the ruling PML-N and the PPP. Redrawing the map would directly affect both parties, which is why the idea is politically sensitive, the report said.
Under the plan, the smaller units could be run by elected chiefs, provincial assemblies or government nominees. No official decision has been announced, and the proposal remains at the discussion stage. Analysts say any such move would need broad political agreement to succeed.
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