INTERNATIONAL DESK — Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday suggested that political parties hold a referendum to gauge the public’s opinion on the creation of new administrative units or provinces, terming it the “solution” to the ongoing debate. The security czar has whipped up a political storm over the past few months since he called for the formation of new administrative units in the country, saying the current “system” of governance had “collapsed” and needed a “reset”.
Replying to a media query at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Lahore on Thursday, Naqvi noted that each political party had a right to disagree with another party or individual. At the same time, he observed that all parties stressed democracy and the supremacy of the people. Therefore, he said: “My only request to all political parties is that this is such an issue […] so they should hold a referendum.
“Whatever the public’s opinion in the referendum is; if the public says [new units] should not be created, I am 100 per cent with them that they should not be created. [But], if the public says they should be made, then they should.” Naqvi noted that political parties had varying stances on the debate, with the PPP “having its own stance [and] some parties having their own stance while not saying anything officially”. He again stressed that the solution was to take public opinion into account, sugge