Munir wants to redraw Pakistan’s map to expand his power:Plans to divide 4 provinces into 15 units, weakening Punjab and Sindh’s political clout

Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir wants to divide the country’s four provinces into 12 to 15 units, potentially reshaping the entire political landscape. According to a report by the British magazine The Economist, the move could weaken the hold of powerful political parties in Punjab and Sindh. The governments of these provinces currently have the strength to challenge the Centre. If smaller provinces are created, this power will be divided and Islamabad’s influence will increase. This could give the already powerful military an opportunity to tighten its grip on the country’s politics and government. Punjab and Sindh’s political influence will decline Pakistan’s Punjab province is the stronghold of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holds sway in Sindh. The strength of both parties comes from their firm grip over the large provinces. If these provinces are divided into smaller units, the existing political equations could change. The parties would have to prove their strength in different smaller provinces. This could weaken the influence of prominent leaders and give the central government more opportunities to intervene in provincial politics. What is the argument for making the provinces smaller? According to ‘The Economist’, Munir believes that Pakistan’s provinces are so large that they cannot be administered properly. Punjab has a population of around 12.8 crore, while Balochistan is the largest province by area, with a population of around 1.5 crore. Delivering government services to people across large areas is difficult. In rural Punjab, people have to travel long distances to access basic services. In Balochistan, too, providing services to remote areas is a challenge. However, Pakistan’s struggling economy, inflation and debt problems have not been caused solely by the provinces’ large size. The question, therefore, is how much dividing the provinces would change ordinary people’s lives and who would benefit from the shift in power. The army is already powerful in Pakistan The military has directly taken power in Pakistan several times. Even today, it wields considerable influence over major matters such as national security and foreign policy. The military also controls land, businesses and substantial resources. In such a situation, if dividing the provinces weakens the existing political forces, the influence of the military and the central government could grow. Instead of dealing with powerful leaders of large provinces, the Centre would have to deal with several smaller governments. This could reduce the collective strength of provincial leadership. Consideration being given to creating 15 smaller provinces or giving districts more power Pakistan is discussing two options. The first is to divide the four provinces and create 12 to 15 new provinces. The second is to give greater powers to around 160 districts, so that people do not have to travel far to get their work done. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has mentioned both options.
Creating new provinces would require a constitutional amendment. Giving greater powers to the districts, however, could make government services more accessible to people without dividing the existing provinces. Which new provinces could be created? The Pakistan government has not yet released an official map, but the areas being discussed include the following: Punjab: North Punjab, Central Punjab, South Punjab Sindh: Karachi Sindh, Central Sindh, Upper Sindh KP: Northern KP, Southern KP, Tribal KP/FATA region Balochistan: East Balochistan, West Balochistan, South Balochistan Opposition to the proposal is already emerging in Sindh On 3 September, the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution opposing the division of the province and placing any part of it under the Centre. Under Pakistan’s Constitution, changing a province’s boundaries requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the members of its assembly. Parliament’s approval will also be required. Sindh is home to Karachi, Pakistan’s major business hub. Any change to its boundaries could trigger a major dispute over political representation and the distribution of resources. If the map changes, the power equation will change too Smaller provinces can bring the administration closer to the people, but the real question is how much authority the new units will receive. If the money and decision-making power remain with the Centre, smaller provinces will be separate in name only. The biggest political impact of this entire exercise could be on the current influence of Punjab and Sindh. The weakening of the political hold of the larger provinces could benefit the Centre and the military.