MQM-P Calls For National Dialogue On New Provinces: Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Flanked By Farooq Sattar And Mustafa Kamal At Karachi Presser. PPP Opposes. PTI And IPP Support With Conditions. Constitutional Bill Already In Standing Committee. Supreme Court Approach Possible If Stalled
According to The News International, MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on August 16, 2026, called for an inclusive national dialogue on creating new provinces, arguing that Pakistan’s governance structure requires significant administrative reform. Speaking alongside Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal at a Karachi press conference, he said political parties must rise above partisan differences to build consensus on restructuring administrative boundaries.
The call follows Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s proposal last month to create new administrative units, in which he described Pakistan’s governance structure as “collapsed.” Naqvi later clarified his remarks referred to gradual institutional erosion over eight decades rather than the current government’s performance.
Siddiqui argued that provinces formed on linguistic lines had become oversized administrative units, while successive governments created new districts while avoiding the broader question of provincial reorganisation. “The effects of not creating new provinces should also be discussed,” he said, citing Sindh as a region where demand for new units is pronounced.
MQM-P already has a constitutional bill before a parliamentary standing committee and warned it could approach the Supreme Court if progress stalls.
PPP firmly opposes the proposal. PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan supports it with conditions; two-thirds majority and constitutional process. IPP’s Abdul Aleem Khan backs South Punjab and Bahawalpur provinces.
The question of new provinces has no shortage of advocates. It has a shortage of consensus.
Check out our previous coverage of Pakistan’s politics on The Trusted Times.
