Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated on Saturday that the federal government will treat Islamabad as a full‑fledged province and that any further redrawing of Pakistan’s internal map must be based on administrative efficiency rather than ethnic considerations, urging citizens to voice their views on the proposed changes.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Naqvi described the plan as a “system reset” aimed at improving the delivery of public services across the country. He said the government intends to carve out new administrative units that are defined by criteria such as population density, economic viability and geographic contiguity, insisting that the move is meant to streamline governance and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The minister announced that a public consultation exercise will be launched within the next two weeks, during which residents will be invited to submit suggestions on the boundaries and functions of the envisaged units. He emphasized that the feedback gathered will be taken into account before any final decisions are made, signaling a willingness to incorporate civil‑society input into a process that has traditionally been driven by political negotiations.
Naqvi’s proposal arrives amid growing calls for reforms to Pakistan’s provincial structure, especially from regions that feel marginalized by the current distribution of resources. By separating Islamabad from the Capital Territory and elevating it to provincial status, the government hopes to grant the capital greater fiscal autonomy and legislative powers, which could, in turn, improve infrastructure planning and service provision for the city’s expanding population.
Critics, however, warn that any reshuffling of boundaries risks reigniting ethnic sensitivities that have long shaped Pakistani politics. Opposition leaders and provincial lawmakers have urged the federal cabinet to ensure that the new units do not become a proxy for gerrymandering or for favoring particular constituencies. Naqvi responded that the emphasis on non‑ethnic criteria is intended to prevent such outcomes and to keep the focus squarely on administrative effectiveness.
If implemented, the restructuring could reshape inter‑provincial relations, affect the allocation of federal transfers, and potentially alter the political calculus ahead of the next general elections. The interior ministry has not yet set a timeline for when a final blueprint might be presented to parliament, but the call for public participation marks the first formal step in what officials describe as a comprehensive overhaul of Pakistan’s internal governance framework.