ISLAMABAD: Any attempt to create new administrative units through a referendum could further deepen political divisions and instability in Pakistan, senior journalist and author Zahid Hussain has said in an opinion piece published in Dawn on Wednesday.
Hussain said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent statements suggested that restructuring the country’s administrative setup was being presented as unavoidable. Naqvi had said new administrative units would have to be created and hinted at holding a referendum to seek public opinion.
The writer questioned whether the interior minister was speaking on behalf of the civilian government or the establishment. He noted that Naqvi appeared to be pursuing another political project while also overseeing internal security and cricket-related affairs.
Hussain said the proposed restructuring plan, details of which remain unclear, had already caused divisions within the federal cabinet and strained the ruling coalition.
The PPP has launched a campaign against any move to divide Sindh, while the Sindh Assembly recently passed a resolution strongly opposing the proposal. Hussain said the developments showed the sensitivity of the issue in the province.
He also pointed out that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the PML-N leadership had largely remained silent, although some party members appeared to support the idea. He questioned whether the PML-N would back a plan that could potentially divide Punjab, which remains its main political base.
According to Hussain, the PTI might not oppose administrative restructuring in principle but would reject any plan imposed without political consensus.
He said obtaining the required two-thirds majority in parliament and the provincial assemblies would be difficult without PPP support. In such circumstances, he suggested, a referendum could appear to be the establishment’s more practical option because it would require only a simple majority.
Hussain referred to Pakistan’s previous referendums held under military rulers, including those conducted during the regimes of Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Pervez Musharraf. He said both exercises were used to provide political legitimacy to military rule and were accompanied by low turnout and allegations of manipulation.
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He warned that a referendum on administrative restructuring could potentially be used for purposes beyond the creation of new provinces or units, including giving the security establishment a formal constitutional role.
While acknowledging the need for better governance and greater devolution, Hussain stressed that such reforms should remain within the democratic process.
He argued that imposing administrative restructuring at a time when the legitimacy of the political system was already being questioned could strengthen authoritarian control rather than improve governance.
According to Hussain, a referendum could not by itself provide legitimacy to such a move and might instead intensify political polarisation and instability.
He said the better option would be to hold free and fair elections and allow an elected parliament to decide on administrative restructuring and the devolution of powers to local governments.
( Monitoring Desk)
