Ahsan Iqbal floats 12–15 provinces or 160 empowered district governments

Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has put forward two options for reorganising Pakistan's administrative setup, according to Mettis Link News. One would create empowered governments in 160 districts, with funds routed straight through Provincial Finance Commissions. The other would split the country into 12 to 15 new provinces, a step that would depend on political consensus.

The minister linked the proposal to a system he said has become overloaded as the population nears 260 million, while social and human-resource indicators have kept deteriorating. He blamed the concentration of powers and resources at provincial level after the 18th Amendment for weaker service delivery and poor social-sector outcomes. Ahsan Iqbal said the goal should be moving decisions and money closer to citizens, particularly in underdeveloped areas.

He stressed that effective implementation and local monitoring are essential for development projects. He argued that restructuring should be debated above party interests and judged against Pakistan's development requirements. He also cautioned that systems unable to adapt eventually fail, which he said is why a more responsive structure is needed.