- Khawaja Asif expects some shape of a new system before 2026 ends, with about six weeks left in the year.
- He says leaders of all four provinces should be taken on board, whether or not their parties sit in parliament.
- Mustafa Kamal and Mohsin Naqvi have both backed a referendum on creating new provinces.
- No final decision has been taken on boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has indicated that political consensus on new provinces could emerge within weeks, hinting at major political developments by the New Year. He says significant progress has been made on the provincial issue and expects a political consensus to emerge in the coming weeks.
In this article
Speaking on a television programme on Sunday, Asif described the discussions of recent weeks as positive. "I believe that some solution will emerge," he said. The remarks add to a renewed debate on new provinces.
New provinces: a new system before year-end
Asked whether the changes could arrive within 2026, Asif said some shape of the new system would emerge before the year ended. He noted that around six weeks of the year remained.
He added that the leadership of all four provinces should be brought on board to build a consensus. This, he said, should apply regardless of whether their parties are currently represented in parliament. In other words, Asif wants Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan involved in building agreement on new provinces.
My personal view is that the New Year will see this new system as well, God willing,
Khawaja Asif, Defence Minister
Asif framed this as his personal view. It is worth stressing that no final decision has been taken on the proposed boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process.
New provinces and a window for Imran Khan
The defence minister also suggested that the expected developments could create an opening for incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan. If Khan agrees to the arrangement, or if an understanding is reached, it would offer a chance to return to mainstream politics once the current phase is over.
Asif compared this opportunity to the one the PML-N received during the extension of former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
In short, Asif linked the expected developments on new provinces to a possible route back into mainstream politics for the PTI founder. That route depends on Khan agreeing to the arrangement or on an understanding being reached.
Referendum talk on new provinces gathers pace
The remarks come amid renewed debate on creating new provinces. Several government figures have publicly backed either a referendum or a political consensus.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal of the MQM-P said a referendum would be held on the creation of new provinces and called December a crucial month. Speaking at an event in Karachi, he said Pakistan stood at a decisive historical juncture. He alleged that opponents of new provinces wanted to set linguistic communities against one another.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has described a referendum as the "best solution", saying public opinion should decide the matter. He stressed that all political parties, including the PPP and the PML-N, should be taken on board. Asif has himself previously backed new provinces on administrative grounds, saying even 12 could be considered.
Between them, Kamal and Naqvi have put the referendum at the centre of the discussion, while Asif has stressed consensus among the leaders of all four provinces.
| Current province | Proposed number of provinces |
|---|---|
| Punjab | 4 |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 3 |
| Balochistan | 3 |
| Sindh | 2 |
The reported 12-province plan for new provinces
According to reports, a proposal to reorganise the country into 12 provinces is under consideration. Under the reported arrangement, Punjab could be divided into four provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan could each have three, and Sindh two.
Added together, four, three, three and two make the 12 provinces in the reported proposal. Punjab would account for the largest share, with Sindh the smallest.
However, no final decision has been taken on the proposed boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process. The proposal therefore remains under consideration.
Explained: what the new provinces debate means
At its simplest, the debate is about whether the country should create new provinces by dividing the existing four provinces of Pakistan. A reported proposal would reorganise the country into 12 provinces, although it remains under consideration.
Who is pushing the idea? Several government figures have publicly backed either a referendum or a political consensus on new provinces. Mustafa Kamal of the MQM-P and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have both backed a referendum, while Khawaja Asif has stressed consensus among provincial leaders and has previously backed more provinces on administrative grounds.
What is still undecided? No final decision has been taken on the proposed boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process. Until those points are settled, the proposal remains under consideration.
What is the timeline? Asif expects political consensus in the coming weeks and some shape of the new system before 2026 ends. Kamal has called December a crucial month.
Background: the argument over new provinces
Kamal, speaking at an event in Karachi, said Pakistan stood at a decisive historical juncture. He alleged that opponents of the idea wanted to set linguistic communities against one another.
Naqvi described a referendum as the "best solution", saying public opinion should decide the matter. He stressed that all political parties, including the PPP and the PML-N, should be taken on board.
Asif’s own comments focus on consensus and on wider politics. He wants the leadership of all four provinces on board, whether or not their parties are in parliament. He also suggested the expected developments could give Imran Khan a route back to mainstream politics, and compared this to the opportunity the PML-N received during the extension of former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Asif expects political consensus in the coming weeks and some shape of the new system before the year ends. Mustafa Kamal has described December as a crucial month, though no final decision has been taken on boundaries or the constitutional process.
Questions and answers
What did Khawaja Asif say about the provincial issue?
He said significant progress had been made and that political consensus was expected in the coming weeks. He expects some shape of a new system to emerge before the end of 2026.
Is a referendum on new provinces planned?
Mustafa Kamal said a referendum would be held, and Mohsin Naqvi called it the "best solution". No final decision on the process has been taken.
How many provinces are reportedly being considered?
According to reports, a 12-province plan is under consideration. It could split Punjab into four, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan into three each, and Sindh into two.
Has a final decision on new provinces been taken?
No. No final decision has been taken on the proposed boundaries, administrative structures or the constitutional process, and the proposal remains under consideration.
Whom does Asif want on board?
He says the leadership of all four provinces should be brought on board to build a consensus. He says this should apply whether or not their parties are currently represented in parliament.
What did Asif say about Imran Khan?
He suggested the expected developments could create an opening for the incarcerated PTI founder. If Khan agrees to the arrangement, or an understanding is reached, it would offer a chance to return to mainstream politics once the current phase is over.
What did Mustafa Kamal say about December?
Kamal called December a crucial month and said Pakistan stood at a decisive historical juncture. He also said a referendum would be held on the creation of new provinces.
What did Mohsin Naqvi say about the process?
Naqvi said public opinion should decide the matter and described a referendum as the "best solution". He stressed that all political parties, including the PPP and the PML-N, should be taken on board.
Image: Usman.pg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
