Pakistan may be preparing to redraw its political map, but a new map will not automatically produce better government. The debate over new provinces, revived in the wake of proposals surrounding the 28th Constitutional Amendment, reflects a genuine frustration with a system in which power, resources and decision-making remain too distant from many citizens. For someone in Chitral, Bahawalpur, Gwadar, Dera Ismail Khan or Thar, the provincial capital can feel as remote as Islamabad. But distance is not measured only in kilometres. It is measured in how long a citizen waits for a government decision, how far he must travel for a public service and how difficult it is to make the state listen. The real reform is not simply to redraw the map, but to bring power closer to the people.

The question is not whether Pakistan should have four, eight or twelve provinces, but how power can be brought closer to the people who live beyond the reach of distant capitals. One proposed model for a 28th Constitutional Amendment offers a useful way to frame that debate. It envisages a more decentralised Pakistan, with smaller provinces, stronger regions, directly elected leadership and genuinely empowered local governments. Its proposed restructuring includes distinct identities for areas such as Hazara, South KP and Kohistan, greater autonomy for South Punjab, Bahawalpur and Potohar, and new administrative arrangements in Sindh and Balochistan. Most importantly, it shifts the centre of governance downward........

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