Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Tuesday said any decision regarding the creation of a new province must follow the procedure laid down in the Constitution and be approved by the relevant assemblies.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Memon said the process required approval from Parliament and the relevant provincial assembly. “The assembly has to pass it. The National Assembly has to pass it. Your Senate has to pass it. Then your provincial assembly has to pass it. You have to process it,” he said.

On July 30, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, addressing the Pakistan Economic Summit 2026 in Islamabad, called for the creation of additional administrative units or provinces to overhaul what he described as the country’s outdated governance system. The remarks triggered reactions from political parties, with some leaders supporting the proposal while others opposed it.

Memon said political statements made during television talk shows could not replace the constitutional process. “If you want to go to talk shows, watch TV news and give your reactions or statements, it is very loud and clear. There can’t be two opinions on it,” he said.

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh government had a clear position on the issue and would follow the constitutional framework. “What is written in the Constitution — and in the Constitution, the PPP and our Sindh government make the decisions,” Memon said.

Referring to comments by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Memon said he had heard him say on television earlier in the day that the issue had not been discussed in any cabinet meeting. “I was listening to Rana Sanaullah on a TV channel in the morning. He said that this has not been discussed in any cabinet till now,” Memon said.

He also referred to resolutions passed by provincial assemblies and called on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to clarify its position on the issue. “If, suppose, the Punjab Assembly has passed a resolution, so first say Bismillah on behalf of the PML-N. Have you heard any reaction?” he said.

Memon also referred to a later statement by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, saying he had called for the issue not to be discussed. “Either openly support it or oppose it, that’s how they talk,” Memon said.

Read: Govt rejects calls for new administrative units

He said the issue continued to be debated on television programmes and elsewhere, but reiterated that the PPP and Sindh government had a clear position on the matter. “We have a clear stance on this,” he said.

Memon said the Constitution clearly laid down the procedure for creating new provinces and that the decision ultimately rested with the people and their elected representatives.

“The decision on the creation of new provinces will be made by the people and the elected assembly,” he said. “The Constitution is clear on how provinces can be created; it cannot happen based on talk shows,” he added.

He said the PPP had already passed relevant legislation and would introduce further legislation in the assembly if necessary. “We have already passed laws; if necessary, further legislation will be brought before the assembly,” Memon said.

“If the need arises again, the matter will be presented to the assembly,” he added, saying the issue should be dealt with according to the law rather than becoming the subject of unnecessary debate or controversy.

Memon also criticised Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, saying both were “politically finished”. He said there was no need for concern because elected representatives of the people were present in the assemblies.

MQM-P calls for national dialogue with political parties on new provinces

On Sunday, the MQM-P said it would launch a grand national dialogue with other political parties on the creation of new provinces and administrative units, arguing that Pakistan’s growing population, poor governance and concentration of political power had made further administrative devolution necessary.

MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, addressing a press conference in Karachi, said the party would approach all political parties to build consensus on the creation of provinces based on population and would centre its future demands, political movement and struggle on the issue.

“There is a need for a major national dialogue, and we are going to initiate it.”

Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani has said the people of Sindh, including political parties, are united in their opposition to the creation of a new province in Sindh.

Reacting to a press conference by MQM-P regarding the division of Sindh and creation of new provinces, Ghani said the constitutional authority to decide on the creation of a new province rested with the people concerned.

He said the country currently needed political stability and national unity, warning that attempts to create divisions and hatred among people living in a province could cause serious damage to the country.

Meanwhile, Sindh government spokesperson Saadia Javed criticised the MQM-P press conference, accusing Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of presenting only “half the truth” about the Constitution in an attempt to mislead the public.

She said the Constitution clearly prescribed a procedure for the creation of new provinces and maintained that no one could be allowed to spread hatred in neighbourhoods and communities in the name of politics.

Nawaz chairs key PML-N huddle

Amid mounting speculation over the creation of new administrative units, senior PML-N leaders held an important meeting at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umrah residence to discuss the country’s political situation.

PML-N insider, Naqvi’s recent statement has sent shockwaves through the party and beyond, particularly because of the manner in which he articulated his position.

The source said the meeting of party elders at Jati Umrah was expected to bring some clarity on the issue, at least within party circles.

The Express Tribune contacted party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb several times to seek the PML-N’s position on the issue and also sent her a written message, but received no response.

Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, while speaking to The Express Tribune, said he could not comment in his official capacity as the party’s secretary general until the PML-N formally announced its position.

However, speaking in his personal capacity, Iqbal said the existing governance system should first be allowed to function in its entirety before concluding whether it had failed.

Read more: New provinces debate set for parliament today

He said the current administrative structure lacked its third tier of government, undermining the objectives of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

According to Iqbal, the 18th Amendment devolved 17 subjects to the provinces, but provincial governments subsequently concentrated those powers in their capitals instead of passing them on to local governments.

As a result, he said, the third tier of governance remained absent, adversely affecting the delivery of services and social sector indicators. He said Pakistan required strong and empowered district governments across all 160 districts.

When asked why provincial governments, including the PML-N government in Punjab, had failed to devolve powers further, Iqbal said the bureaucracy had convinced elected governments that empowering local governments would weaken provincial control.

In reality, he said, it was the bureaucracy that feared losing its own authority and powers to local governments.

He described it as shortsighted for provinces to attempt to administer everything from provincial capitals, saying it was impossible to effectively govern Sindh from Karachi, Punjab from Lahore, Balochistan from Quetta and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from Peshawar.

Citing an example, he said even minor administrative matters, such as appointments of Class-IV employees, were routed through provincial secretaries.

Iqbal rejected the assertion that the governance system had collapsed, saying anyone who believed so should visit Narowal to see the development work carried out there.

Asked whether Mohsin Naqvi would be summoned to explain his remarks before the prime minister, Iqbal said the decision rested solely with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.