CHITRAL: For decades, Pakistan has been debating how to improve its system of governance. The latest proposal in fashion is to increase the number of provinces from existing four to twenty-two. It may sound like reform, but in reality it is multiplying an already bloated and inefficient system.

Every new province would mean another Chief Minister, another cabinet of ministers, more advisers, more special assistants, another Chief Secretary, secretaries, additional secretaries, deputy secretaries and an army of bureaucrats. Who will pay for this ever-expanding government? The answer is the ordinary Pakistani, who is already wailing under the weight of taxes at every step of life while being denied even the most basic public services. More provinces will thus not solve Pakistan’s problems; they will simply create more offices, more official residences, more protocol, more government vehicles and more taxpayers’ money disappearing into administrative overheads.

If we genuinely seek reform, we must stop tinkering with a failed structure and rethink it from the ground up. Instead of creating more provinces, why not abolish the provincial tier altogether and make every existing district a self-governing administrative unit? Many developed countries successfully operate through county or district-based systems that bring government closer to the people rather than creating another costly layer of administration.

Every district should elect its own head with executive powers comparable to those of a Chief Minister, restricted to the district. The elected representatives should constitute the district assembly responsible for local legislation and oversight. Governance would become faster, more responsive and far more accountable because decisions would be made where the people actually live.

The elected head of every district should automatically become a member of the Senate of Pakistan, giving every district direct representation at the federal level. Under such a system, there would be no need for unnecessary elections to the Senate which are a farce any way  and also no need for a National Assembly altogether. Eliminating this expensive layer of government would save billions of rupees annually while putting an end to the abominable horse-trading, political blackmail, defections and endless bargaining that have reduced parliamentary politics to a shameless struggle for power rather than a commitment to public service.

Pakistan should also adopt a strong Presidential system. The President should be elected directly by citizens possessing at least a graduate-level qualification and should serve as the country’s chief executive. Instead of rewarding political loyalists with ministries, the President should appoint non political competent professionals and recognised experts to run government departments. Without a National Assembly, there would be no need for a Prime Minister and the ludicrously expensive machinery that accompanies that office too.

Above all, no constitutional arrangement can succeed without ruthless accountability. Pakistan desperately needs an accountability institution that is genuinely independent of both the executive and the legislature. It must possess the authority to investigate and prosecute anyone – from the President to the head of the smallest district – swiftly, transparently and without fear or favour. If the accountability system is ineffective, the entire exercise becomes meaningless.

Pakistan has experimented with cosmetic reforms for nearly eight decades, yet governance has continued to deteriorate progressively. The country does not suffer from a shortage of politicians, assemblies or bureaucrats, rather it is over burdened by them. In fact it suffers from too much government and too little governance.

If Pakistan truly wishes to change its destiny, it must abandon half-measures and embrace bold paradigmatic reforms. The objective should be simple: smaller government, lower costs, greater accountability, more authority at the grassroots and leadership based on competence rather than political patronage. Anything less will merely produce more of the same – only at a much greater cost. .. CN report, 05 Aug 2026