Sialkot, 9 November, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has supported the establishment of new administrative units in Pakistan, saying that the country’s growing population and the need to ensure the provision of basic facilities to citizens require reforms in the existing administrative structure. Speaking to a private television channel, he said the proposal for creating new provinces had been under discussion for the past two months and, in his view, Pakistan should establish additional administrative units in line with administrative requirements, as practised in several countries around the world. He said that a proposal to establish 12 administrative units could also be considered, stressing that language, ethnicity or political interests should not serve as the basis for their formation. The defence minister maintained that the significant increase in Pakistan’s population had made the devolution of administrative powers essential to ensure better public service delivery. Citing Afghanistan as an example, he said the country had increased the number of its provinces from around eight to ten to approximately 30 to 32 through administrative division. Khawaja Asif further proposed transferring powers concentrated in provincial capitals to local administrative units to reduce the centralisation of authority in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar. He also pointed out that funds transferred by the federal government often remain dependent on the discretion of provincial governments, although local government institutions are the intended recipients and beneficiaries of these resources. He emphasised that politicians should recognise that power and authority are a public trust, adding that the prevailing political mindset often favours retaining all powers within the hands of politicians rather than devolving them to the people.