Minister says consensus on provincial issue likely in coming weeks, hints at opportunity for Imran’s return

Faisal Sheikh

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has hinted at major political developments by the New Year, saying significant progress has been made on the provincial issue and a political consensus is expected in the coming weeks.

Asif said significant progress had been made on the provincial issue and political consensus was expected to emerge in the coming weeks.

“My personal view is that the New Year will see this new system as well, God willing,” he said.

Asked whether the developments were expected in 2026, the defence minister said some shape of the new system would emerge before the year ended, adding that around six weeks remained in 2026.

Asif said the leadership of all four provinces should be taken on board to reach a consensus, regardless of whether their parties were currently represented in parliament.

“I believe that some solution will emerge,” he said, describing the discussions taking place in recent weeks as positive.

The defence minister also suggested that the expected political developments could offer an opportunity for incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan to return to mainstream politics.

“If he agrees to this, or if they reach an agreement, then it will provide a window of opportunity for them to return to mainstream politics once this political phase is over,” Asif said.

He likened the “opportunity” to the one the PML-N had received during the “extension of former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa”.

Asif’s remarks come amid a renewed debate over the creation of new provinces, with several government figures publicly supporting a referendum or political consensus on the issue.

Earlier, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said a referendum would be held on the creation of new provinces, describing December as a crucial month for the proposed move.

Addressing an event in Karachi, Kamal said Pakistan was standing at a decisive historical juncture and alleged that opponents of new provinces wanted to pit linguistic communities against one another.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also described a referendum as the “best solution” to the issue, saying public opinion should determine whether new provinces should be created. He stressed that all political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), should be taken on board.

Asif himself has previously backed the creation of new provinces on administrative grounds, saying even 12 could be considered.

The News has also reported that a proposal to reorganise Pakistan into 12 provinces is under consideration. Under the reported arrangement, Punjab could be divided into four provinces, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan could each have three and Sindh two.

However, no final decision has been taken on the proposed provincial boundaries, administrative structures or constitutional process.