QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has expressed support for the creation of new provinces on administrative grounds, arguing that it is not possible to effectively govern the entire province from Quetta.
Speaking to senior journalists via video link, Bugti said that if new provinces were created, they should be established on the basis of administrative needs rather than ethnicity or language.
“It is not possible to control the whole of Balochistan while sitting in Quetta,” the chief minister said, emphasizing the need for an administrative approach to governance.
His remarks come amid a renewed national debate over the possibility of creating new provinces in Pakistan. Supporters of the idea argue that smaller administrative units could improve governance, public service delivery and political representation.
Bugti stressed that any restructuring should not be based on linguistic or ethnic divisions. Instead, he said, administrative considerations should determine whether and where new provinces are created.
Security Situation in Balochistan
The chief minister also discussed the security situation in Balochistan, saying that security forces were performing their duties under difficult circumstances.
He said state institutions were working in coordination in the fight against terrorism and maintained that there would be no negotiations with those who take up arms against the state.
According to Bugti, terrorism is not an issue confined to a single province but is a problem affecting the entire country. He called for a coordinated national effort to eliminate terrorism.
He said the fight against terrorism in Balochistan would continue until the last terrorist was eliminated.
Bugti also said there was complete agreement and coordination between the civilian and military leadership regarding counterterrorism efforts and that there was no ambiguity on the matter.
Governance and Development
The Balochistan chief minister rejected reports of any agreement under which the provincial government would change after two-and-a-half years.
“I have no knowledge of any two-and-a-half-year government agreement in Balochistan,” he said, adding that any decision regarding a change in government would be made by the political leadership.
Bugti said he would continue serving the people for as long as he remained in office.
He also claimed that corruption in Balochistan had declined compared with the past and said efforts were underway to ensure merit in educational institutions and other government departments.
According to the chief minister, development projects in Balochistan have also been completed in record time compared with previous periods.
Afghan Repatriation and Missing Persons
Bugti said approximately 1.1 million Afghan nationals, along with other foreign nationals, had been sent back to their respective countries from Balochistan.
He also addressed the issue of missing persons, saying that the matter was sometimes presented without the proper context.
The chief minister’s comments come at a time when Balochistan continues to face security, administrative and development challenges. His support for new provinces adds another dimension to the ongoing national discussion about whether Pakistan’s existing provincial structure is adequate for effective governance.
Bugti emphasized that any future restructuring should focus on improving administration and public service delivery rather than creating divisions along ethnic or linguistic lines.
His position is also significant because the debate over new provinces has recently gained renewed attention among political leaders. The question of whether additional provinces should be created remains a politically sensitive issue and would ultimately require constitutional and parliamentary consideration.
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