Governance Failures
Governance Failures: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the military spokesman recently proposed creating new provinces to fix Pakistan’s collapsing governance system. However, major political parties, provincial leaders, and legal experts immediately rejected the plan.
Political Resistance to New Provinces
Opponents warned that executive orders cannot alter provincial boundaries without a two-thirds majority in parliament and provincial assemblies. Furthermore, strong local governments can deliver public services far better than new administrative divisions. Raising this divisive issue during active insurgencies, rising terrorism, and widespread civil unrest only adds to national instability.
Causes of Governance Crisis
Political instability and elite capture cause Pakistan’s governance crisis, not its provincial borders. A powerful alliance of political and military elites uses public office to enrich itself while blocking tax, land, and economic reforms. This system starves the state of funds, causing deep poverty, massive debt, and failing public services. Constant power struggles between civilian and military leaders also destroy long-term planning.
Flawed Economic and Policy Decisions
Flawed financial habits and heavy military spending worsen these struggles. Successive governments relied on foreign loans, short-term bailouts, and overseas remittances instead of collecting domestic taxes. At the same time, regional conflicts forced the state to prioritize defense spending over health, education, and economic growth. Redrawing provincial borders will not fix these deep problems. Pakistan must build stable politics, reform its institutions, and modernize its economy to survive.
Published in Dawn, 10th August 2026
