Federal Health Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal has said Pakistan’s existing administrative structure is no longer capable of meeting the country’s growing needs, arguing that a new administrative division has become inevitable.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Kamal said the current system of “one federation and four provinces” could no longer effectively address the country’s expanding population, urban challenges and governance requirements. He added that Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had also expressed support for a new administrative division around three years ago.
Kamal said Lahore had advanced decades ahead of Karachi in terms of development, while the country’s commercial hub continued to struggle with inadequate civic services, deteriorating infrastructure and unresolved municipal issues. He accused the Sindh government of failing to allocate Karachi its fair share of provincial resources despite the city’s major contribution to the national economy.
Criticising the provincial administration, Kamal claimed that Sindh had received more than Rs22 trillion over the past 18 years, but Karachi had not received even three percent of those funds. He said the city remained neglected in terms of development projects, public services and basic infrastructure despite generating the largest share of Pakistan’s revenue.
The MQM-P leader stressed that administrative reforms and a more equitable distribution of resources were essential for improving governance. He reiterated his party’s longstanding demand for new administrative provinces, greater devolution of powers to local governments and stronger local government institutions in major cities.
The remarks come as debate over administrative reforms, devolution of powers and urban governance has regained momentum in Pakistan. While MQM-P argues that new administrative units would improve service delivery and governance, the Pakistan Peoples Party has consistently maintained that the creation of new provinces is a constitutional and political matter requiring broad national consensus and has opposed any division of Sindh.
Kamal’s claims regarding Karachi’s share of development funds and provincial resources are likely to draw a response from the Sindh government, as the issue has remained a longstanding point of political contention.
Also Read: Administrative reset with new provinces vital for prosperous Pakistan: Sources
