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77% Pakistanis Want New Provinces, Survey FindsPakistan
A nationwide survey of 5,000 citizens has found that 77 per cent of Pakistanis support the creation of additional provinces, up from 54 per cent in 2022, with the highest support in Sindh and Karachi.
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Seventy-seven per cent of Pakistanis support the creation of additional provinces, according to a new nationwide survey, which found that support has risen sharply over the past four years.
The Meridian National Barometer 2026, conducted by Meridian Analytics among 5,000 citizens, found that 77 per cent of respondents backed the creation of new provinces. Support stood at 54 per cent in 2022 and rose to 66 per cent in 2024 before reaching 77 per cent in the latest survey, a rise of 23 percentage points since 2022. The findings were reported by Dunya News on Friday.
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The survey found substantial backing for additional provinces in all four existing provinces. Sindh recorded the highest support at 80 per cent, followed by Punjab at 78 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 75 per cent and Balochistan at 72 per cent. Karachi stood out with 92 per cent support, one of the strongest figures in the survey.
According to the report, the survey was conducted between October 12 and November 4, 2026, and covered 5,000 adults aged 18 to 64. The sample included 1,200 respondents in Sindh, 2,000 in Punjab, 1,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 800 in Balochistan.
The survey found rising demand for new provinces including South Punjab, Bahawalpur and Hazara, according to the Dunya News summary of the findings. Supporters of new provinces argue that smaller administrative units would improve governance, bring public services closer to the people and speed up development.
The findings come at a time when the creation of new provinces is being actively debated in Pakistani politics. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has called for a referendum on the creation of new provinces, saying that if the public does not support the proposal, he would also oppose it. He urged political parties to review public opinion polls on the issue, saying surveys indicate growing public support.
Rana Sanaullah has said that parliament would decide on the creation of new provinces even if a referendum were held. Under Article 239(4) of the Constitution, a constitutional amendment altering the limits of a province cannot be presented to the President for assent unless it has been passed by the provincial assembly of the affected province with at least two-thirds of its total membership.
The debate over new provinces has continued for years, with proposals put forward at different times for South Punjab, Bahawalpur, Hazara and Karachi as separate provinces. Supporters say the present four provinces are too large to govern effectively, while critics argue that the focus should be on strengthening local government instead.
The survey findings do not by themselves create any new province, and any change would require a constitutional amendment with the support of parliament and the provincial assembly concerned. The Meridian survey presents public opinion only, and its results are likely to feature in the continuing political debate over the issue.
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