LAHORE: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that a referendum would be held if a joint sitting of Parliament approves the creation of new provinces in the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Rana Sanaullah said that discussions on the creation of new provinces at economic forums, seminars or other public platforms would not be productive. He stressed that the issue should be debated through Parliament, where all political parties could present their positions.
“If the people want new provinces, no one can stop them,” Rana Sanaullah said. However, he made it clear that the question of creating new provinces has not yet reached the formal decision-making stage.
Responding to questions about recent remarks by the Interior Minister regarding new provinces, Rana Sanaullah said the issue had not so far been formally discussed either in Parliament or in the federal cabinet.
He said the proposal to create new provinces had not yet been placed before the cabinet. According to him, if a joint sitting of Parliament approves the proposal, a referendum would then be held.
Rana Sanaullah criticized the discussion of the issue through speeches and statements outside Parliament, saying that such discussions had not produced any meaningful progress. He said the matter should have been brought before Parliament from the beginning.
Once the issue is formally presented in Parliament, he said, all political parties will have an opportunity to state their positions. Rana Sanaullah added that consultations are currently continuing within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding its position on the creation of new provinces.
He said the PML-N would participate in the parliamentary debate and that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would also speak on the matter.
PML-N Position Still Under Discussion
Rana Sanaullah said consultations within the PML-N were ongoing and that the party would announce its policy position once the matter formally comes before Parliament.
He said the party would also take into account the views of its workers at the district and union-council levels before finalizing its position.
According to Rana Sanaullah, the ultimate decision on whether new provinces should be created rests with Parliament. If there is sufficient public demand for new provinces, he said, that demand will have to be considered through the parliamentary process.
The issue of creating new provinces has remained a recurring subject in Pakistan’s political debate. Supporters argue that smaller provinces could improve administration, governance and political representation, while opponents have raised concerns about constitutional, financial and administrative implications.
Rana Sanaullah on Political Marches
The prime minister’s adviser also commented on planned long marches by Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
He said he had requested Jamaat-e-Islami leaders to postpone their planned long march by one or two weeks. He described the Jamaat-e-Islami protest as likely to remain peaceful, saying the party is a political organization with a history of political activism.
Rana Sanaullah urged Jamaat-e-Islami leaders not to put themselves through unnecessary difficulties and said the PML-N also wanted petroleum product prices to be reduced.
“Jamaat-e-Islami’s long march will be a peaceful protest,” he said.
However, when asked about the planned march by another political party, Rana Sanaullah expressed the view that it would not remain peaceful.
His comments come amid heightened political activity in the country, with opposition parties raising concerns over governance, constitutional supremacy, economic conditions and the political process.
The debate over new provinces could gain further momentum if the federal government formally brings the matter before Parliament. For now, however, Rana Sanaullah’s comments indicate that the proposal remains at the discussion and consultation stage, with no formal cabinet decision having yet been taken.
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