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Pakistan’s New Provinces Debate

Pakistan has four provinces, and demands to create more have recurred since the One Unit era. The debate returned to the centre of national politics in 2026: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for a governance reset, MQM-P opened a national dialogue on administrative units, and in November The News reported a proposal to redraw the map into 12 provinces with a nationwide referendum before a possible 28th Amendment. This hub follows the proposals, the constitutional requirements and the political resistance they meet.

5 reportsLatest 9 November 2026
Portrait of Khawaja Asif, a man with dark hair and a moustache, wearing a dark suit and light shirt at a conference in 2015.

Latest development

9 November 2026
Newest report

Pakistan weighs 12-province plan with referendum before 28th Amendment

A report says Pakistan is considering 12 provinces, with a nationwide referendum before a possible 28th Amendment, as Defence Minister Khawaja Asif backs new units.

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The reporting trail

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MQM-P chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui speaking into a cluster of microphones at a media appearance, wearing a dark jacket over a light shirt.Pakistan / Politics & Governance

MQM-P opens national dialogue push for new provinces

MQM-P announced a national dialogue on creating new provinces and administrative units on 17 August 2026, while Sindh's information minister rejected any division of the province.

Portrait of Pakistan's Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi in 2024.Pakistan / Politics & Governance

PPP demands Naqvi's resignation over new provinces remarks

The PPP's Sindh chapter demanded Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi resign over his call for new provinces, while MQM-P renewed its demand for a referendum on the issue.

Women voters at a polling station, one in a patterned shawl placing a paper ballot into a white box on a table while others wait their turn.Pakistan / Politics & Governance

Proposal to raise Pakistan's voting age to 25 draws backlash

A proposal floated by a prime minister's adviser to raise Pakistan's voting age from 18 to 25 under a possible 28th amendment has drawn criticism from opposition and civil society.

Supporters at an MQM rally in Karachi waving party flagsPakistan / Politics & Governance

MQM-P presses PM Shehbaz for 28th amendment on local government

An MQM-P delegation asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Karachi to include Article 140A in a 28th constitutional amendment and to fast-track Karachi's development package.