Do we need new provinces? The emerging answer appears to be yes; we do. However, this affirmative answer comes with a string attached: strictly abiding by the Constitution of Pakistan, empowering local bodies, and respecting the people’s decision to choose their political leadership. The call for new provinces also demands transparency from those who are at the helm of affairs. Mostly, the pronoun “they” is conveniently used to refer indirectly to this powerful pivot. Instead of this pronoun, sometimes we also hear the words “establishment” and “bureaucracy.” If we run a sentiment analysis on the available corpus, we realize that these words are often associated with negative connotations or hurdles to good governance.

We do not yet know the outcome of these growing aspirations for new provinces. But the question we originally raised at the onset of this article has exposed political dynasties in Pakistan that are not ready to give up their hegemonic control. With a fear of losing their power, which can make anyone greedy and self-centred, these dynasties are vehemently opposing the idea of new provinces. They are doing their best to protect their individual interests over the wishes of the people or the national interest. The people of Pakistan simply want good governance: a country where there is rule of law, freedom of speech, and access to quality education, health care, and employment, which remains difficult to achieve under the present system of governance.

Pakistan does not just need more provinces on its map.

Pakistan does not just need more provinces on its map.

Pakistan turned out to be a colonial state within a postcolonial........

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