KARACHI: Pakistan’s Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Saturday called for a major overhaul of the country’s administrative structure, saying the existing system of one federal government and four provinces can no longer meet the country’s growing needs.
Speaking at a news conference in Karachi, Kamal said rapid population growth, urban expansion and rising governance challenges had outpaced the current administrative framework.
“The existing system is no longer sustainable,” he said. “Pakistan needs a new administrative division to improve governance and public service delivery.”
Kamal, a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), said Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had also argued about three years ago that Pakistan would eventually need a new administrative structure to support national development.
He said Lahore had advanced far ahead of Karachi in terms of infrastructure and urban development, while Pakistan’s largest city continued to struggle with inadequate civic services, aging infrastructure and municipal challenges.
Kamal sharply criticized the Sindh provincial government. He claimed it had received more than 22 trillion Pakistani rupees over the past 18 years but allocated less than three percent of those resources to Karachi.
He argued that Karachi contributes the largest share to Pakistan’s economy but remains neglected in development spending, infrastructure projects and the provision of basic public services.
Kamal said administrative reforms and a fairer distribution of resources had become essential because the current governance model was failing to address public needs effectively.
MQM-P has long advocated the creation of new administrative units, greater devolution of powers and stronger local governments, particularly for large urban centers such as Karachi.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which governs Sindh province, has consistently opposed any division of the province. The party maintains that creating new provinces requires constitutional procedures and broad political consensus and rejects any proposal to divide Sindh.
Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub and largest city, has remained at the center of long-running disputes over local government powers, development funding, urban planning and resource allocation.
Kamal’s remarks come as debate over administrative reforms, devolution of authority and urban governance has regained momentum in Pakistan.
Any proposal to create new provinces or redraw administrative boundaries would require constitutional amendments, broad political agreement and consultations among all major stakeholders.
