PML-N's Rana Sanaullah says Parliament to decide on more provinces

PML-N's Rana Sanaullah notes Parliament to decide on more provinces.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 12, 2026 Updated September 12, 2026 10: 55pm.
• Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah remarked on Saturday that Parliament will decide on the matter of creating new provinces.
• He attributed the tensions mainly to emotionally charged election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, saying the campaigns were now over and so were the frictions.
• "In any circumstance, the decision of whether any province will be created or not will be made in Parliament, and by Parliament, " Sanaullah reiterated.
• Based on these reports, our assessment is that it could be a replay of May 9.

News Desk Published September 12, 2026 Updated September 12, 2026 10: 55pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Meanwhile, the recent debate regarding new provinces began in late July when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi pressed new provinces as part of reforms to the current governance system, drawing robust reactions from administration ministers.

During a press conference in Lahore, Sanaullah was asked regarding Naqvi's recent remarks where he stated that "new administrative units will eventually have to be created as Pakistan's growing population and changing needs can no longer be effectively managed through the existing administrative structure".

In practice, the PML-N leader replied that making such statements at business seminars or conferences had not resulted in any "improvement" in the situation.

"In my humble opinion, this debate should have been started in Parliament, " he remarked, adding that matters of such magnitude should not be reduced to speeches, social media, seminars or business forums.

"The outcome will also emerge in Parliament, " the PM's adviser remarked, adding that the "matter will be resolved in a better direction" when all political parties and the leadership of all provinces discuss it.

He additionally stressed that Naqvi, in his remarks, had stated the creation of new provinces depended on whether the public wanted it. "If the public wants, then no one can stop it. The decision of whether the public wants it or not can only be created in Parliament, " the PML-N leader stated.

Sanaullah remarked his party was deliberating upon the matter and will problem a policy statement after participating in the debate and once it "comes to a proper place where a result could emerge".

According to The PM's aide further, no minister had raised the matter before the federal cabinet so far, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would problem the appropriate directives once the topic is discussed.

He emphasised that even if a referendum were to be held to gauge public opinion, it would require approval by the parliament.

He remarked that the PML-N was not "bound" to matter a statement on the topic of new provinces merely based on economic forums. Referring to the Sindh Assembly's adoption of a resolution against dividing the province, Sanaullah remarked the PPP had "overreacted". Coalition partners to resolve differences.

Speaking on the recent rift between the PPP and the PML-N, the minister remarked differences between the two parties had, by and substantial, been resolved.

As both sides were committed to resolving them, sanaullah, who is additionally a member of the core committees formed to resolve differences between the two major coalition partners, stated after attending a session at Governor House that any remaining matters would be settled amicably.

"Ideally, the core committees should meet every month, but this could not happen due to the elections in GB and AJK. Meetings will now hopefully be held more regularly to smooth over any old or new rough patches, " he remarked.

Meanwhile, the PPP, which rules Sindh and is additionally an ally of the PML-N administration at the Centre, has strongly resisted the suggested move to carve out Karachi as a separate province.

PML-N's Khawaja Asif, who had earlier observed that the appropriate forum for such a discussion was the parliament, stated last week that devolution of power was "inevitable".

Notably, the opposition parties, including the PTI, have remarked they will hold consultations to call an all-parties conference to discuss a number of problems, including the creation of new provinces, law and order and the economy. PTI, JI marches to Islamabad.

Asked regarding the aims of the Jamaat-I-Islami (JI) and the PTI to march towards Islamabad on September 20 and 27, respectively, Sanaullah remarked that the JI's past political activities had been peaceful while the same could not be projected from the PTI.

"Everyone knows that JI is a political party and it has always carried out its activities according to the Constitutional and legal requirements, " he remarked.

He affirmed that the administration "respected" political protests and therefore had held negotiations with the JI during which its representatives "carefully and seriously listened to their demands".

In practice, the PM's adviser pressed JI leaders not to "overwork themselves needlessly" as the PML-N and PM Shehbaz additionally wanted a reduction in the fuel rates and electricity bills "as much as and even more than JI did".

By contrast, Sanaullah remarked the administration had "no expectation" that the PTI's long march would remain peaceful and referred to remarks created by its leaders.

"If they are coming to Islamabad to overthrow the government and if this is their intention and thinking, then it is obvious that they will carry out violence after coming there, " he asserted.

"Based on these reports, our assessment is that it could be a replay of May 9. If it takes that route and assumes a similar proportion, it would be particularly unfortunate. Since the matter is additionally before the courts, the administration is awaiting their decisions before finalising its strategy. But one thing is certain: violence cannot be allowed, " he remarked. Extra input from Ahmed Faraz.

In short, pML-N' s Rana Sanaullah says Parliament to decide on more provinces is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.