LONDON: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for the new provinces debate to be taken to the National Assembly. He said elected representatives should decide questions about Pakistan’s governance structure.
Speaking to journalists in London on September 9, Bilawal said Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was entitled to express his views on the existing system. However, he said Naqvi should bring the discussion to parliament rather than business forums.
Bilawal said he was prepared to debate the issue with any federal minister or representative of the federal government. He argued that elected lawmakers should discuss the causes of governance failures and possible remedies.
The PPP chairman rejected the suggestion that creating additional provinces alone could resolve inflation, unemployment, poverty or political instability. He said democratic participation and empowering citizens remained central to addressing those problems.
Read: New Provinces in Pakistan Urged to Improve Governance
Bilawal also said decisions on new provinces should reflect public opinion through elected representatives and provincial assemblies.
Naqvi has recently advocated new administrative units as part of what he calls a governance “reset”. On September 5, he said any restructuring should proceed through political consensus and reflect the people’s wishes.
The PPP has opposed attempts to divide Sindh. Meanwhile, it maintains that any change to provincial boundaries must follow the constitutional and parliamentary process.
