By The Changer News Desk
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s parliament is expected to debate proposals for the creation of new provinces when the National Assembly and Senate meet in October, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said, bringing a growing national discussion over administrative restructuring into the country’s main legislative forum.
Chaudhry said neither the National Assembly nor the Senate would hold sessions in September, while meetings of both houses were expected next month. He described Parliament as the appropriate forum for discussing proposals for new provinces and for allowing political parties to present their positions on an issue that has gained renewed attention in recent weeks.
The minister separately rejected speculation that Islamabad could be turned into another province. He said the federal capital was instead moving towards a new governance model and that there was no proposal under consideration to grant Islamabad separate provincial status.
The debate over Pakistan’s administrative structure has intensified following calls from senior government figures for reforms. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has argued for reconsidering the existing governance structure and has said any move towards new administrative units should reflect the wishes of the public. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has also called for a national discussion on restructuring, including proposals for additional provinces or substantially stronger district governments.
The issue is politically sensitive because creating new provinces would require more than an administrative decision and would involve constitutional and political processes. The renewed debate has also revived longstanding questions over whether governance would be improved by creating smaller provinces or by transferring greater political, administrative and financial authority to local governments.
For Islamabad, reports indicate the proposed governance changes could involve a new representative structure for the capital, while the government’s stated position remains that Islamabad would retain its status as the federal capital rather than become a separate province