Pakistan's 4 provinces to be split into smaller states? Here's why Asim Munir wants to redraw the country's map

Pakistan's political map could be heading for its first major change in nearly five decades — and the push is reportedly coming from the country's powerful military establishment, not a politician. Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir wants to break up Pakistan's four provinces into smaller administrative units.

Pakistan currently has four provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. Munir reportedly wants to split them into 12–15 provinces or as many as 160 smaller administrative territories, The Economist reported.

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Why does Asim Munir want to split Pakistan's provinces?

According to the Pakistan Army chief, the existing provinces are too large to be governed effectively, contributing to the country's poor performance.

Consider Punjab, which has approximately 128 million people — more than half of Pakistan's population. Balochistan, the country's largest province by area, has roughly 15 million residents.

The governance gaps are stark. In Punjab, fewer than a quarter of residents have access to safe drinking water at home. People in rural areas also have to travel for hours to access basic government services.

However, Pakistan's problems go beyond the size of its provinces. The country is grappling with weak economic growth, high inflation and heavy debt-servicing costs. The military has also wielded enormous influence over Pakistan's political system, having ruled the country directly for more than two-fifths of its history, while elected governments have often operated under its shadow.

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Could splitting provinces change Pakistan's power dynamics?

Breaking up large provinces such as Punjab and Balochistan could make them easier for the central government and military establishment to control. Interestingly, the military itself is to blame for a large chunk of the problems that, according to Munir, can be solved by smaller provinces.

Punjab is a stronghold of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), while Sindh is dominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Both provinces have considerable political weight, making any proposal to redraw Pakistan's internal boundaries more than just an administrative exercise.

The proposal for provincial restructuring comes as Pakistan is dealing with political turmoil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan began a march towards Islamabad after talks between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and the government failed.

The Pakistan government has deployed heavy security around Islamabad and vowed to prevent Khan's supporters from entering the capital. For years, Balochistan has faced separatist violence over its independence, resources and the role of Pakistan.

Protests over governance, high taxation and economic conditions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir add to the challenges surrounding any territorial reorganisation.

Is this a new idea?

The proposal to restructure Pakistan's provinces is not new. Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal previously proposed either creating 15 new provinces or establishing fully empowered local governments across 160 districts.

At the time, Iqbal argued that the current provincial system is too centralised since the 18th Constitutional Amendment of 2010, failing to properly provide basic services like health and education to the country's growing population.

Noting that creating new provinces requires a major constitutional amendment and broad political consensus, he requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to form a committee to launch a nationwide debate.

Is an executive decision enough? 

Redrawing the political map of Pakistan would require not just an executive decision but a series of constitutional amendments. Pakistan's 1973 Constitution establishes it as a federation with four constitutionally protected provinces.

Under Article 239, an amendment must secure a two-thirds majority of the total membership of both the National Assembly and the Senate. If the amendment changes a province's boundaries, it must receive approval from at least two-thirds of the total membership of the provincial assembly in question.

Now, this has become a flashpoint in Sindh. On September 3 this year, the Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution that rejected proposals to divide the province, create another province from its territory or place any part under federal administration.

Invoking Article 239(4), the Assembly stated that it would not accept any changes to Sindh's boundaries.