KARACHI (Dunya News) – Dunya Media Group Chairman Mian Amer Mahmood has once again emphasised the need for creating new provinces in Pakistan, arguing that administrative restructuring is essential for improving governance, and steering the country toward long-term prosperity.
Speaking at an event held in Karachi on the theme Imagine Pakistan 2030, he clarified that neither he nor Chaudhry Abdul Rehman had any affiliation with any political party.
Mian Amer Mahmood highlighted that Pakistan is a four-province federation and noted that discussions about administrative reforms should be viewed objectively.
He pointed out that MQM had previously submitted resolutions in the National Assembly for the creation of new provinces, including the Hazara province.
Drawing international comparisons, he said China has 31 administrative units while India has 39, underscoring that countries around the world have adopted diverse administrative frameworks to ensure effective governance.
The event saw strong participation from prominent members of Karachi’s business community, who attended in large numbers to engage in discussions about Pakistan’s future development and administrative structure.
“Pakistan is the fifth-largest country in the world by population,” said Mian Amer Mahmood. He noted that Pakistan has only four provinces.
Mian Amer Mahmood added that Nigeria has 27 administrative units, while Brazil has 36 administrative units.
Mian Amer Mahmood said Pakistan conducted its first population census in 1951, when Punjab had a population of around 20 million. He noted that Punjab’s population has now grown to nearly 130 million.
Speaking further, he stated that under the 2001 local government system, development funds reached districts, and every district saw progress during those eight years. However, he added that this system was abolished in 2008.
Mian Amer Mahmood remarked that whenever a political government comes to power, it first dismantles the local government system. He questioned what Pakistan has actually gained from its four-province structure.
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Highlighting the education crisis, he said that Karachi alone has 25 million children out of school, and Pakistan has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world.
Mian Amer Mahmood stated that a single judge in the Supreme Court handles over a thousand cases, and the number of cases in courts is increasing daily.
He added that the creation of new provinces would help reduce the burden on the judiciary.
Speaking in Karachi, he noted that India had nine provinces at the time of independence in 1947, which have now increased to 39.
He observed that India often creates a new province before each election, and the formation of a new province there leads to accelerated development.
Mian Amer Mahmood said that public opinion is everything. “Through social media, we can also give voice to the people,” he added. He noted that in any country, political leadership often emerges from the grassroots. However, in Pakistan, he said, the middle class hardly gets a chance to rise to leadership positions.
Mian Amer Mahmood emphasised that the country has given much to its citizens, and it is their duty to give back. “If the public forms a united opinion, no one can deny it,” he stated.