New Provinces Vital for Better Governance: Sardar Yousaf
Published: September 16, 2026 | Time: 07:10 PM
ISLAMABAD (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2026)
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Chairman Hazara Province Movement, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, on Wednesday called for the creation of new provinces, including Hazara, to bring governance closer to the people, improve service delivery, and ensure greater public access to centres of power.
Addressing a national dialogue organised by the Islamabad Bar Association, he stated that:
Pakistan had four provinces at its creation, and despite a significant increase in population, districts, tehsils, and administrative requirements, the number of provinces remained unchanged.
“The time has come to create new provinces, including Hazara,” he asserted, adding that the demand for Hazara province was constitutional, democratic, and based purely on administrative considerations, not linguistic or ethnic identity.
Sardar Yousaf highlighted the sacrifices made by the people of Hazara during their movement for a separate province, noting that seven lives were lost. He mentioned that resolutions in favour of Hazara province had been passed three times by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and bills related to its creation had been introduced in both the National Assembly and Senate.
He explained the need for new provinces in terms of population growth and increased administrative challenges, drawing an analogy with expanding families and the need for new houses. Similarly, he argued, as districts and tehsils increase, so should the number of provinces.
Referring to the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Sardar Yousaf noted that while it devolved powers from the federation to the provinces, adequate authority was not subsequently transferred from provinces to districts and divisions.
Our struggle is aimed at empowering the people and ensuring their access to centres of power, he said, adding that new provinces should have adequate administrative and financial powers to generate revenue, formulate policies, and implement them.
Sardar Yousaf also expressed support for demands for new provinces from other parts of the country if they were based on genuine administrative and public needs. He believed that smaller administrative units could improve management and governance, helping to resolve people's problems more efficiently.
Discussing national and religious responsibilities, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf emphasized Pakistan's role as a nuclear power in regional and international affairs. He referenced Pakistan's agreement concerning the protection of Harmain Sharifain, stating that protecting the holy places was a responsibility of all Muslims.
He affirmed that Pakistan had made a commitment to protect these sites and that the entire nation was prepared to make every sacrifice for their safeguard. He also declared that Pakistan would firmly resist any action against the holy places and fulfill its responsibilities in this regard.