Key Takeaways
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says new administrative units will only be formed with people's consent.
- Changes must be brought through political consensus and according to the will of the people.
- Naqvi calls for a dialogue to consider the positive and negative aspects of new units.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has stated that any new administrative units in Pakistan will only be formed if the people support such a move. Addressing the National Policy Dialogue in Lahore, he emphasized that changes should be brought through political consensus and according to the will of the people.
Naqvi clarified that his comments were not about any particular political party but about the system that has been in place since the country's independence. He called for undertaking the proposed administrative reforms as per the Constitution, stating that it must be done through democratic means.
The minister highlighted that the country's administrative system has lost its effectiveness, with issues such as education and access to clean drinking water remaining unresolved. He stated, 'Even today, four out of every 10 children are not receiving the education they need. Today, only 55 per cent of the population has access to clean drinking water, and there are still two million cases pending in our courts.'
Naqvi also called for the federal capital, Islamabad, to receive its share of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, describing himself as the 'biggest supporter of Islamabad province.' He insisted that declaring Islamabad a province would give its citizens their rights, noting that 'Islamabad is the only city that does not get a single rupee from the budget of Pakistan.'
During the dialogue, Naqvi emphasized the need for a review of the benefits, methods, and financial consequences of new administrative units. He stated, 'Most importantly, our parliament, experts, and those people responsible for it should debate on it, and finally, we must seek our public’s opinion.'
The interior minister also called for a dialogue that would consider the positive and negative aspects of new units. He said, 'Draft a thing and present it to the people, asking them whether they accept it or not.'
Naqvi urged politicians not to get emotional about the topic, adding that the change was not one that would happen overnight. He contended that the country's administrative system had lost its effectiveness and its 'impact is not reaching the public at all.'
In conclusion, Naqvi maintained that the government was trying to rectify these issues and that the idea of new administrative units would not be abandoned. He stated, 'Under no circumstances are we ready to accept that we have become so incapable that we cannot reset this system.'
Reset does not mean breaking the system. Under no circumstances does it mean breaking the system. It means that whatever is wrong should be changed.
Mohsin Naqvi, Interior Minister
Draft a thing and present it to the people, asking them whether they accept it or not.
Mohsin Naqvi, Interior Minister
