（下边有中文翻译请继续看到底。 谢谢。）
The idea of creating more provinces in Pakistan has resurfaced in the national debate. While it is not new—discussed at various junctures since independence—it has always been shelved due to political hesitancy, fear of backlash, or the enormity of challenges attached to such structural reforms. Today, however, the debate has regained urgency. With a government supported by strong institutional backing, particularly from the armed forces, there exists a rare opportunity to take bold and practical steps toward reshaping Pakistan’s federal structure for the greater good of its people.
This is not simply a question of drawing new boundaries on the map. It is about redefining governance, expanding representation, ensuring equitable resource distribution, and paving the way for inclusive national development. If approached with wisdom, sensitivity, and pragmatism, creating more provinces can transform Pakistan’s governance model for the better.
Why More Provinces? The Rationale
Pakistan is a diverse federation of over 240 million people. Four provinces, a federal capital, and some special territories have been the governing framework for decades. Yet, this arrangement does not adequately represent the mosaic of ethnicities, languages, and communities across the country. The imbalance in population and geography among the provinces—Punjab being larger than all other provinces combined in population—creates structural inequalities that have been exploited politically and economically.
The case for more provinces rests on several strong arguments:
Improved Governance
Smaller administrative units are easier to govern. With provinces closer to the people, decision-making can become faster, more responsive, and better aligned with local needs. Citizens often complain that provincial capitals are too distant, both physically and politically, from the grassroots. Creating more provinces can bridge this gap.
Enhanced Representation
Pakistan’s diversity is its strength, but when communities feel underrepresented or ignored, discontent grows. More provinces mean that smaller groups can have their voices heard in provincial assemblies and decision-making forums. This strengthens the federation rather than weakens it.
Equitable Distribution of Resources
Provincial governments are responsible for allocating resources for development, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. With fewer, larger provinces, resources often get concentrated in certain regions. By creating more provinces, development can be planned and executed more equitably across districts and divisions.
Balanced National Development
Many areas of Pakistan—southern Punjab, interior Sindh, Balochistan, and erstwhile FATA—lag behind in development indicators. Smaller provinces dedicated to these regions can focus exclusively on their uplift, rather than competing with wealthier regions for limited provincial budgets.
Strengthening National Unity
Critics often fear that more provinces will fuel division. In reality, the opposite is true. By addressing grievances of marginalized communities, acknowledging their identities, and granting them greater autonomy, Pakistan can strengthen its unity and loyalty to the federation.
Possible Scenarios for New Provinces
When discussing new provinces, there are several scenarios to consider. The goal should not be to redraw boundaries arbitrarily, but to ensure fairness, practicality, and broad-based consensus.
Administrative Division-Based Provinces
One option is to convert existing divisions into provinces. For example, Punjab has nine divisions; these could be reorganized into three or four provinces. Similarly, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan could be reorganized to create manageable units.
Ethnic and Cultural Considerations
While avoiding ethnic exclusivity, acknowledging cultural identities can help heal old wounds. For instance, the demand for a Saraiki province in southern Punjab is based on linguistic and cultural identity. Similarly, Hazara in KP has long demanded its own province. These demands, if addressed wisely, can foster inclusiveness.
Economic and Geographic Balance
Provinces could be created with an eye toward economic viability and geographic accessibility. No province should be left landlocked without access to trade or resources. A balanced approach ensures that all new provinces can sustain themselves economically.
Gradual Implementation
Instead of creating multiple provinces at once, Pakistan could adopt a phased approach. Beginning with the most feasible and widely demanded cases (e.g., southern Punjab, Hazara), the model could be refined before expanding further.
The Benefits of More Provinces
If implemented thoughtfully, the creation of more provinces can yield far-reaching benefits:
- Decentralized Power: Bringing power closer to the people weakens bureaucratic bottlenecks and reduces dependency on Islamabad.
- Local Accountability: Smaller governments are easier to monitor and hold accountable, making corruption and mismanagement more difficult to hide.
- Enhanced National Integration: By granting equal recognition to all communities, grievances that have fueled separatism in the past can be addressed.
- Economic Growth: Smaller provinces can specialize in their strengths—agriculture, minerals, trade, or industry—leading to targeted economic growth.
- Political Stability: Fair representation reduces feelings of exclusion, which often manifest in political instability or protest movements.
A Framework for Implementation
For this vision to materialize, a carefully crafted strategy must be adopted. The following framework offers a practical roadmap:
National Consensus-Building
- Initiate a structured national dialogue involving political parties, provincial governments, civil society, and academia.
- Emphasize that the goal is national strengthening, not division.
- Seek buy-in from the masses through public consultations and forums.
- Legislative and Constitutional Process
- Amend the Constitution with a two-thirds majority in Parliament and consent from provincial assemblies.
- Establish a clear legal framework for creating new provinces, including criteria for boundaries, resource sharing, and representation in national institutions.
Resource Allocation and NFC Award
- Revise the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to ensure fair distribution of federal resources to new provinces.
- Guarantee that smaller provinces are not financially disadvantaged.
Administrative Infrastructure
- Establish new provincial capitals, administrations, and institutions gradually to avoid financial strain.
- Initially, existing divisional headquarters could serve as provincial capitals.
Phased Approach
- Begin with two or three new provinces that enjoy broad consensus, such as South Punjab and Hazara.
- Monitor their performance, refine governance models, and expand gradually to other regions.
Safeguarding National Unity
- Create a robust communication campaign to assure citizens that more provinces mean a stronger Pakistan, not fragmentation.
- Emphasize unity in diversity, ensuring that new provinces strengthen the federation.
A Way Forward
Pakistan stands at a critical juncture. Governance challenges, population pressures, and uneven development demand bold reforms. Creating more provinces is not a luxury—it is a necessity for effective governance in the 21st century.
The path forward must be inclusive, transparent, and gradual. It requires courage from political leaders and trust from the people. Mistakes of the past, where genuine demands were dismissed as threats, must not be repeated. Instead, the process should be seen as a democratic evolution—one that brings the state closer to its citizens and paves the way for a stronger federation.
Ultimately, Pakistan is not defined by the number of its provinces but by the strength of its unity, the inclusiveness of its governance, and the fairness of its development. By embracing the idea of more provinces, Pakistan can turn an old debate into a transformative reality—ensuring that no community feels left behind, and every citizen has an equal stake in the nation’s future.
Summary
The debate on creating more provinces is not about division but about unity through justice. It is about strengthening Pakistan’s federal system by making it more responsive, representative, and fair. The current government, backed by strong institutions, has a historic opportunity to act where others hesitated.
By approaching this reform with wisdom, patience, and inclusivity, Pakistan can create a governance model that delivers development to all corners of the country. This is not just about maps and boundaries—it is about giving every Pakistani the dignity of representation, the promise of development, and the hope of a more prosperous tomorrow.
在巴基斯坦设立更多省份的想法重新出现在全国辩论中。虽然这并不是什么新鲜事物，但由于政治上的犹豫、对反弹的恐惧，或者这种结构改革所带来的巨大挑战，它总是被搁置。然而，今天，这场辩论重新变得紧迫起来。巴基斯坦政府有强大的体制支持，特别是有武装部队的支持，这是一个难得的机会，可以采取大胆而实际的步骤，为巴基斯坦人民的更大利益重塑巴基斯坦的联邦结构。
这不仅仅是在地图上画新边界的问题。这是重新定义治理，扩大代表性，确保资源公平分配，为包容性国家发展铺平道路。如果以智慧、敏感和务实的态度处理问题，设立更多省份可以改善巴基斯坦的治理模式。
为什么要更多省份？基本原理
巴基斯坦是一个拥有2.4亿多人口的多元化联邦。几十年来，四个省、一个联邦首都和一些特殊地区一直是执政框架。然而，这种安排并不能充分代表全国各地的种族、语言和社区。各省之间人口和地理的不平衡——旁遮普省的人口比其他所有省份加起来都多——造成了结构性的不平等，这种不平等在政治和经济上都被利用了。
设立更多省份的理由有以下几个强有力的理由：
改善治理
较小的行政单位更容易管理。随着各省离人民更近，决策可以变得更快、反应更迅速，并更好地符合当地需求。市民们经常抱怨省会城市在地理上和政治上都离基层太远。建立更多省份可以弥补这一差距。
增强的表现
巴基斯坦的多样性是它的优势，但当社区感到代表性不足或被忽视时，不满情绪就会增加。更多的省份意味着更小的群体可以在省级议会和决策论坛上发出自己的声音。这加强而不是削弱了联邦。
公平分配资源
省级政府负责为发展、教育、保健和基础设施分配资源。由于省少而大，资源往往集中在某些地区。通过建立更多的省，可以在地区和部门之间更公平地规划和执行发展。
国家均衡发展
巴基斯坦的许多地区——旁遮普省南部、信德省内陆、俾路支省和以前的联邦直辖部落——在发展指标上落后。致力于这些地区的小省份可以专注于他们的发展，而不是与富裕地区争夺有限的省级预算。
加强民族团结
批评人士经常担心更多的省份会加剧分裂。在现实中，情况正好相反。通过解决边缘化社区的不满，承认他们的身份，并给予他们更大的自治权，巴基斯坦可以加强其团结和对联邦的忠诚。
新省份的可能情况
在讨论新省份时，有几种情况需要考虑。目标不应该是武断地重新划定边界，而是要确保公平、实用和广泛的共识。
以行政区划为基础的省份
一种选择是将现有的分区改为省。例如，旁遮普有九个区；这些省可以重组为三到四个省。同样，信德省、开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省和俾路支省可以重组为可管理的单位。
民族和文化因素
在避免种族排他性的同时，承认文化身份有助于治愈旧伤。例如，在旁遮普南部建立一个Saraiki省的要求是基于语言和文化认同。同样，KP的哈扎拉人长期以来一直要求拥有自己的省份。这些要求如果得到明智的处理，可以促进包容性。
经济和地理平衡
各省的建立可以着眼于经济可行性和地理可达性。任何省份都不应被留在内陆而无法获得贸易和资源。一个平衡的方法确保所有新省份都能在经济上维持自己。
逐步实现
巴基斯坦可以采取分阶段的方法，而不是一次建立多个省。从最可行和最广泛需要的案例（例如，旁遮普南部、哈扎拉）开始，该模式可以在进一步扩大之前加以完善。
更多省份的好处
如果执行得当，创建更多省份可以产生深远的效益：
权力分散：让权力更接近人民，削弱官僚主义瓶颈，减少对伊斯兰堡的依赖。
地方问责制：较小的政府更容易监督和问责，使腐败和管理不善更难以隐藏。
加强民族融合：通过平等承认所有社区，可以解决过去助长分离主义的不满情绪。
经济增长：较小的省份可以专注于自己的优势——农业、矿产、贸易或工业——从而实现有针对性的经济增长。
政治稳定：公平的代表权减少被排斥的感觉，这种感觉通常表现在政治不稳定或抗议运动中。
实施框架
为了实现这一愿景，必须采取一项精心制定的战略。以下框架提供了一个实用的路线图：
国家建立共识
发起有组织的全国性对话，包括政党、省政府、公民社会和学术界。
强调目标是加强国家，而不是分裂。
通过公众咨询和论坛寻求群众的支持。
立法及宪制程序
经议会三分之二多数和省议会同意修改宪法。
为创建新省建立明确的法律框架，包括边界标准、资源共享和在国家机构中的代表性。
资源分配和NFC奖
修改国家财政委员会（NFC）奖励，以确保联邦资源公平分配给新省份。
保证较小的省份不会在财政上处于劣势。
管理基础设施
逐步建立新的省会、行政部门和机构，避免财政紧张。
最初，现有的师总部可以作为省会。
分阶段方法
先从两三个享有广泛共识的新省份开始，比如南旁遮普和哈扎拉。
监控他们的表现，完善治理模型，并逐步扩展到其他地区。
维护国家统一
开展强有力的沟通活动，让民众相信，更多的省份意味着一个更强大的巴基斯坦，而不是分裂。
强调多元统一，确保新省加强联邦制。
前进之路
巴基斯坦正处于关键时刻。治理挑战、人口压力和发展不平衡需要大胆的改革。建立更多的省份并非奢侈，而是21世纪有效治理的必要条件。
前进的道路必须是包容、透明和渐进的。这需要政治领导人的勇气和人民的信任。过去真正的要求被当作威胁而不予理睬的错误绝不能重演。相反，这个过程应该被看作是民主的进化——一个使国家更接近其公民，并为更强大的联邦铺平道路的过程。
归根结底，巴基斯坦不是由其省份的数量决定的，而是由其团结的力量、治理的包容性和发展的公平性决定的。通过接受设立更多省份的想法，巴基斯坦可以将一场古老的辩论转变为变革的现实——确保没有一个社区感到被落下，每个公民在国家的未来中都有平等的利益。
总结
关于设立更多省份的争论不是关于分裂，而是关于通过正义实现团结。这是为了加强巴基斯坦的联邦制度，使其更具反应性、代表性和公平性。在强大机构的支持下，现任政府有一个历史性的机会，可以在其他政府犹豫不决的领域采取行动。
通过智慧、耐心和包容的改革，巴基斯坦可以创造一个惠及全国各地发展的治理模式。这不仅仅是关于地图和边界的问题，而是关于给予每一个巴基斯坦人代表的尊严、发展的承诺和更繁荣的明天的希望。
( 注意： 本文是用AI翻译的，或有误差。请以原版英文为准。谢谢。)
Reference Link:- https://thinktank.pk/2025/08/27/rethinking-pakistans-map-the-case-for-more-provinces/