Pakistan is preparing to divide the country into 12 states: Bhutto's party opposes the move, saying, "No one but Allah can divide Sindh."

Preparations are underway to divide Pakistan's four provinces into 12 parts. The country's Information Minister, Abdul Aleem Khan, has stated that the creation of smaller provinces is now certain. He claims this will lead to better governance.

Abdul Aleem Khan attended an Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) workers' convention in Sheikhupura on Sunday. ​​During the event, he said that three new provinces could be created in Sindh and Punjab. A similar division could also take place in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Aleem Khan said that many neighboring countries have several smaller provinces, and therefore, Pakistan should also follow suit. Aleem Khan's party, the IPP, is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's coalition government. However, Bilawal Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has opposed the move.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah threatened that no one but God has the power to divide Sindh.

Which new provinces could be created?

The Pakistani government has not yet released an official map, but the areas under discussion are as follows:

Punjab: North Punjab, Central Punjab, South Punjab
Sindh: Karachi Sindh, Central Sindh, Upper Sindh
KP: Northern KP, Southern KP, Tribal KP/FATA Region
Balochistan: East Balochistan, West Balochistan, Southern Balochistan
Bilawal's party opposes the division

Bilawal Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which is part of the Shehbaz government, has clearly stated that it will oppose the division of Sindh at all costs.

The PPP has long opposed the division of Sindh in particular. Last month, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah issued a clear warning that no step against the interests of Sindh would be accepted.

He said that the PPP would never accept any move against the interests of its province or the country. He said that rumors of new provinces being created are circulating, but they should be ignored. He reiterated that no one but God has the power to divide Sindh. The demand for new provinces has been raised before, but it has never reached fruition. At the time of its creation in 1947, Pakistan had five provinces: East Bengal, West Punjab, Sindh, North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), and Balochistan.

In 1971, East Bengal seceded to become present-day Bangladesh. Later, the NWFP was renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This time, the proposal has also received support from some think tanks and parties like the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).

Several smaller parties also oppose the move.

Besides the PPP, several smaller parties are also against this division. The Awami National Party (ANP) and Baloch nationalist parties have called it a "divide and rule" policy.

They argue that creating smaller provinces could weaken local identity and culture, diminish the political power of larger provinces, and further strengthen the grip of the army and the central government.

Furthermore, it could exacerbate tensions in regions like Balochistan. Some experts say this move could further complicate the country's already unstable political landscape.

Two-thirds majority required to create new provinces

Many political experts say that the army's influence in Pakistan's power structure has increased in recent years. Therefore, the decision to divide the provinces might be more of a strategy to increase political control than a genuine administrative reform.

Creating new provinces requires a constitutional amendment, which needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament. If Pakistan is divided into 12 provinces, the country's administrative structure, politics, and resource allocation will be completely transformed.

Experts say: More provinces mean more problems

Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, a senior Pakistani officer and former police official, says that simply increasing the number of provinces will not solve the problems.

According to Ali Shah, weak institutions, unequal application of the law, lack of accountability, and the failure to empower local governments are the real problems facing the country.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of the think tank PILDAT, also said that past experiences show that administrative reorganizations have only increased grievances. According to them, creating new provinces would be an expensive, politically controversial, and complex step. The real need is to strengthen local governments.