The President House on Friday rejected media reports suggesting that President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had discussed the creation of new provinces during their meeting in Nawabshah, clarifying that their discussions focused exclusively on national security and the regional situation.
The clarification followed reports claiming that the two leaders had deliberated on proposals to establish new provinces or administrative units during a meeting held on Thursday night.
No official statement had been issued immediately after the meeting, prompting speculation about the subjects discussed.
“There is no truth to media reports suggesting that matters concerning the provinces were discussed during the interior minister’s meeting with the president,” the President House said in a statement.
“Matters concerning national security and the regional situation were discussed during the meeting. However, no discussion took place on matters related to provinces,” the statement added.
The clarification comes amid an intensifying political debate over the creation of new provinces, an issue that has generated disagreement among major political parties in recent months.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has repeatedly advocated the establishment of new administrative units, arguing that Pakistan’s existing governance structure requires substantial reforms.
His remarks have attracted political attention since he suggested several months ago that the current administrative system had “collapsed” and needed a “reset”.
Earlier this week, Naqvi reiterated his position, proposing that political parties consider holding a referendum to determine public opinion on the creation of additional provinces or administrative units.
He described a referendum as a possible “solution” to the continuing debate over administrative restructuring.
However, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which governs Sindh and is a coalition partner of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) administration at the federal level alongside the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), has strongly opposed proposals that could lead to the division of Sindh.
The party has consistently maintained that the province’s territorial integrity must be preserved.
In September, the Sindh Assembly adopted a resolution rejecting attempts to divide the province or establish new administrative units within its boundaries.
Speaking on the issue, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah declared that “there will be no compromise on Sindh’s geographical unity”.
The resolution reflected the provincial government’s firm opposition to proposals involving changes to Sindh’s existing boundaries.
Against this backdrop, the President House’s clarification sought to dispel speculation that the controversial issue had featured in Thursday’s meeting between Zardari and Naqvi.
The presidency maintained that the discussions were confined to national security and regional developments, with no consideration given to matters concerning the provinces.