Another member of PM Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet has voiced his support for new provinces in the country.
In a video message, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan said that the creation of new provinces was need of the hour, and that serious debate should be held in the parliament, media and at public level on the subject.
He said that the time had come that improvements were made in governance in line with the present needs of the masses. “The purpose of the exercise is not to do politics, but to ensure that better facilities were provided to the people and resources were distributed among masses judiciously,” the minister said, and added that by carving out new provinces from large ones, financial and administrative powers would be devolved to the lowest level.
Khan said that the Center transferred powers to provinces after the passage of the 18th Amendment. “These powers were transferred to provinces, but not to districts,” he said, adding that the purpose of the 18th Amendment was to devolve powers and distribute resources in such a manner so that the common man could feel empowered.
He stressed the need for a clear and just formula for the distribution of resources among districts in each province. “If one district gets Rs1 billion and the other Rs20 billion, then definitely there will be a difference in their development,” the minister said, adding that unequal distribution of resources led to a sense of deprivation in people.
