News Desk: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has backed the creation of new provinces in Pakistan on an administrative basis, saying the move should be aimed at improving governance rather than serving ethnic or linguistic interests.
Bugti said national consensus on new provinces must first be achieved in the National Assembly before any decision is taken. If the federal parliament reached an agreement, he said, the Balochistan Assembly would also support the proposal.
Speaking to national media anchors, senior journalists and other representatives via video link from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Saturday, Bugti said new provinces should be created according to administrative requirements.
“New provinces should be created on administrative, not linguistic, grounds,” he said.
The chief minister said the large geographical size of Balochistan made it difficult to effectively administer the entire province from Quetta. He said administrative restructuring could improve governance, strengthen institutions and ensure better delivery of public services.
Bugti stressed that the creation of new provinces was a national issue that should be addressed through constitutional and parliamentary mechanisms.
CM Bugti Rules Out Talks with Those Taking Up Arms
Turning to terrorism in Balochistan, Bugti said the fight against terrorism would continue until the last terrorist was eliminated.
He said Pakistan’s civil and military leadership was united in its approach to counterterrorism, adding that there was no ambiguity or confusion regarding the state’s policy against terrorism.
The Balochistan chief minister categorically ruled out negotiations with those who had taken up arms against the state.
However, Bugti said the government would continue efforts to persuade young people who had been misled or influenced by hostile elements to abandon violence and return to peaceful lives.
He described terrorism as a national issue rather than a problem limited to Balochistan, stressing that all parts of Pakistan needed to work together to address the security challenge.
Bugti said national unity, effective governance and stronger administrative structures were essential to addressing Pakistan’s political, administrative and security challenges.
