SARGODHA Correspondent
Former District Nazim of Lahore and CEO of Punjab Group of Colleges, Mian Amer Mehmood, emphasized the urgent need for administrative restructuring in Pakistan, advocating the formation of 33 provinces to promote equitable resource distribution and effective governance.
Speaking at an awareness seminar titled “Pakistan 2030: Challenges, Opportunities, and New Directions”, organized by the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP), Mian Amer said the goal is to build a better Pakistan by raising voices for system reforms. “Smaller provinces will reduce administrative costs and ensure that resources reach the people,” he stated.
He pointed out that Pakistan, with a population of 250 million, operates with only four provinces, which he believes is a major barrier to national development. “If Punjab were a country, it would be among the top six or seven most populous nations globally. Yet, one Chief Minister runs a province of over 130 million people,” he added.
Mian Amer drew comparisons with India, which started with 9 states at independence and now has 37 administrative units. “Other large countries manage welfare and development efficiently due to decentralization and local governments,” he said.
Highlighting regional disparities, he noted that only five cities in Pakistan have seen true development in the last 80 years, while vast regions of Balochistan, Sindh, and even parts of Punjab remain underdeveloped.
On education, he warned that 25 million children are out of school, and 44% of children suffer from stunted growth. “These children will become the biggest hurdle to national progress in the future,” he cautioned, urging immediate reforms to address these structural issues.
He also criticized the lack of local leadership due to the centralized governance system. “Leadership emerges when systems allow space. We want to create opportunities for new leaders, and that will only happen when every division is turned into a province,” he said.
Mian Amer cited international examples, including Turkey, where effective leadership led to transformational change. He lamented that Pakistan hasn’t produced organic leadership in 80 years due to a flawed system that suppresses merit and talent.
On the role of the public, he urged youth to use social media and their networks to raise awareness about the need for more provinces and structural reforms, rather than resorting to street protests.
Speaking about Sargodha specifically, he proposed that it should be made a province, which would allow local officials to become Chief Secretary or IGP, thereby reducing bureaucratic burden and enhancing service delivery. “If Sargodha becomes a province, its 10 million residents will see real change,” he emphasized.
He stressed that provinces shouldn’t be based on ethnicity or politics, but on governance and service delivery needs. “We are not asking to break the country. We want to fix it before it breaks,” he clarified.
Mian Amer concluded by saying that if new provinces are created, healthy competition among them would lead to better performance and greater accountability. “Large provinces like Punjab become easy targets of blame; decentralization would help eliminate provincialism.”
Earlier, Chaudhry Abdul Rehman, Chairman of APSUP and Superior Group of Colleges, praised Mian Amer Mehmood as a visionary who contributed immensely to Pakistan’s education sector by establishing over 400 colleges and three universities. “Nations that remember their real heroes thrive,” he said, expressing hope that Sargodha would soon become a province.
