ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent remarks about Pakistan’s governance system reflected ongoing discussions on improving administrative efficiency through the creation of new provinces or administrative units, according to informed sources.
Naqvi made the comments while addressing the Pakistan Economic Summit 2026 on Thursday. During his speech, he described the country’s governance system as “broken” and urged political parties to develop a consensus on the issue of creating new provinces. His remarks triggered widespread debate among political leaders, analysts and journalists, with many questioning the message behind his statement.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the minister’s comments should not be viewed as criticism of the federal government or as a sign of differences within the state institutions. Instead, they said the remarks were aimed at highlighting the need for administrative reforms to improve governance and ensure better delivery of public services.
Speaking at the summit, Naqvi said the existing governance structure was no longer capable of addressing Pakistan’s growing challenges. He warned that unless major reforms were introduced, the country would continue discussing the same problems even after another 10 years.
The interior minister stressed that Pakistan needed a long-term solution rather than temporary measures. He said the issue of creating new administrative units should be placed before the people so that a national consensus could be developed through public debate.
Naqvi also referred to the prime minister’s reported long working hours, saying that working 18 to 20 hours a day reflected commitment but could not permanently solve structural governance problems. He said such efforts were similar to dealing with emergencies instead of addressing the root causes of the country’s administrative challenges.
His remarks immediately sparked political speculation in Islamabad. Some observers interpreted the statement as an acknowledgment that the current governance model was not delivering the desired results. Others suggested the comments reflected dissatisfaction with the existing administrative structure.
Some political analysts also linked the statement to speculation about differences between the civil government and the military establishment. However, informed sources firmly rejected that interpretation.
A source with knowledge of the matter said there was no disagreement between Islamabad and Rawalpindi regarding the issue. The source emphasized that Naqvi’s speech was focused solely on promoting the idea of administrative reforms through the establishment of additional administrative units.
According to the source, the purpose of the remarks was to encourage discussion among policymakers, political parties and the public about whether Pakistan should adopt a new administrative framework to improve governance across the country.
Observers believe supporters of the proposal argue that Pakistan’s existing provincial structure has become too large and complex to effectively manage the country’s administrative and development needs. They maintain that smaller provinces or administrative units could bring government institutions closer to the people, improve service delivery, strengthen local administration and make governance more efficient.
