Naqvi backs administrative reorganisation, says public will must prevail

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the creation of a new province in southern or northern Punjab would not erase the Punjabi identity, just as the creation of new administrative units in Sindh could not take away the Sindhi identity.

Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, Naqvi said that even after 79 years, the country had failed to achieve the desired results and that it was necessary to “reset the system.”

He said Pakistan needed to examine its existing system and clearly understand the purpose behind calls for a reset.

He said the call to reset the system had been interpreted in different ways. Some people linked it to the incumbent government, while others interpreted it as a reference to the existing political setup. However, he clarified that the call for a reset was not directed at any particular government or political party.

The federal minister said Pakistan would also have to review its system. “Our objective is not to replace the government or any political party; our objective is to address the flaws within the system,” he said.

He noted that numerous plans had been formulated over the past 79 years, but the public had not received the desired results.

He said basic facilities such as education, healthcare, clean drinking water and sanitation should be available to every citizen. Improving the system and ensuring better service delivery, he added, would help resolve public problems.

Naqvi further said that everyone would have to acknowledge the need to reset the system. The purpose of a reset was not to eliminate anything but to improve it, he said.

Any changes to the system must be made within the framework of the Constitution and the law, while reforms should be carried out in accordance with the Constitution and through political consensus.

He said decisions regarding the creation of new administrative units should not be made according to the wishes of a political party or an individual. Instead, the decision should reflect the will of the people of Pakistan.

“If the people want new administrative units, they should be created; if they do not, they should not be created under any circumstances,” he said, adding that the constitutional right of the people to decide on the creation of new administrative units must be recognised.

Naqvi said that 80 years ago, a family could live in a single house, but as families grew, they required two and eventually several houses. Similarly, as the population and people’s needs increase, the country’s administrative and governance structures must also evolve.

He said there was anxiety over the transfer of powers to the grassroots level and that this concern needed to be addressed. Powers could be devolved to the lowest levels while remaining within the constitutional framework, he said, stressing that no illegal action would be permitted under any circumstances.

The interior minister said every Pakistani citizen should have a right to the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. He claimed that residents of Islamabad currently receive no share from the NFC, while the Capital Development Authority (CDA) runs the city by selling its land.