DAWN Editorials 15th August 2026

Governance test

EVER since the interior minister called for smaller administrative units to improve governance, the question of new provinces has become the subject of much discussion. The proposal has revived a long-standing debate: does Pakistan need more provinces or greater devolution to the local level?

A recent discussion in Islamabad on the topic brought together politicians, policymakers, technocrats and civil society representatives. While some participants supported the creation of new provinces, the broader sentiment appeared to favour, and rightly so, the decentralisation of political, administrative and financial power through effective local governments.

The case for smaller provinces rests on the view that large administrative units have become unwieldy due to racing population numbers and the concentration of authority in a few urban centres. Proponents of this view argue that smaller provinces will bring governance closer to citizens and address the challenges. Yet even they recognise that any restructuring must reflect the will of the people and follow the constitutional process. This is vital to ensure that boundary changes do not become an exercise in political engineering, but emerge from genuine public demand.

However, Pakistan’s problem is less a shortage of provinces than excessive centralisation of every kind of power. Without empowered LGs and devolved resources, creating new provinces will not improve governance. The more immediate task should be to make LGs genuinely functional. After all, citizens turn most often to elected representatives over basic issues such as roads, streets, sewerage and other necessary municipal services.

These are the challenges that should be addressed at the local level. Sadly, because of the political ambitions of the ruling elite, LGs in Pakistan have intentionally been denied adequate administrative and financial powers. The outcome is a distorted structure in which provincial governments perform functions that should be handled much closer to the citizens. This results in political patronage, administrative congestion and poor service delivery.

The debate therefore rightly widened the reform agenda. Judicial and electoral reforms, intra-party democracy, the rule of law and institutional behaviour cannot be separated from the question of good governance. As some participants noted, changing boundaries without reforming the underlying political and institutional culture will only lead to the same governance failures.

New provinces may, where there is genuine public demand and a sound administrative and fiscal case, form part of a broader governance restructuring. But the first test is whether power is actually transferred to the citizens. We need governments that are closer to the people, more accountable and financially empowered. The aim should not be to redraw Pakistan’s map. It should be to redraw the relationship between the state and its citizens.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026

Sailors’ killing

THE killing of at least three Pakistani sailors in an apparent Houthi attack targeting a vessel in the waters of Bab al-Mandeb and the strong reaction from the state, illustrate the combustible situation at this volatile chokepoint. Unless all sides, particularly the Houthis, show restraint, the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb maritime corridors can become the site of greater hostilities, mirroring the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The attack took place on Aug 11, and the Yemeni government has held the Houthis responsible for it. However, the Iran-allied armed group, which controls much of Yemen, has not claimed the attack. This is uncharacteristic — the Houthis are rarely shy of accepting responsibility for such strikes, as they seek to enforce an embargo on Saudi vessels. The response from Pakistan has been very strong, with the foreign minister and Foreign Office condemning the killings. Pakistan has also raised the issue at the UN. In fact, Pakistan says that — as part of the Saudi-led maritime alliance to secure the Red Sea and its environs — it is “ready and willing” to assist Riyadh in protecting maritime traffic.

It is essential that a fresh round of hostilities be prevented in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb area. In this regard, the Houthis must act with prudence and refrain from hampering marine traffic and targeting vessels. If more countries are dragged into the violence as their sailors and ships are targeted, there is a very real possibility that matters will spiral out of control. And this would open up another front, pitting the pro-Iran Houthis against the Saudis and their allies. Along with further rattling energy markets and global commerce, such an exchange of fire in this unstable region can broaden the existing sectarian and ideological divisions within the Muslim world. It is therefore essential to establish peace within Yemen, while also restoring the Saudi-Houthi ceasefire. As Pakistan’s UN representative said, a “Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process” is the only viable path, while regional states can offer their good offices to try and bring Riyadh and the Houthis to an understanding. The Saudis should consider ending the blockade of Yemen, while the Houthis must also end their attacks on the kingdom’s territory and its ships. Short of this, matters will only escalate.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026

Lethal celebrations

IT is a familiar tale. Every year, occasions for national celebration turn into fear and mourning just because some citizens feel they are beyond the reach of the law. Each year, instead of expressing happiness and joy in a civilised manner, a number of citizens discharge deadly firearms into the air, putting the lives of others at risk. Whatever combination of negligence and disregard for collective safety drives this behaviour, the results are predictable and preventable. This year, the toll by the evening of Independence Day was at least 94 injured and two dead in Karachi alone. The city’s police and law-enforcement authorities are directly to blame. Despite this being a yearly occurrence, they have still failed to develop an effective deterrent strategy or adequately protect citizens. The systemic failure is clear: law enforcement either lacks the commitment or the resources to enforce existing laws with consistency. The city’s institutional neglect has created an environment in which those willing to discharge firearms during national celebrations face minimal consequences.

Exemplary punishments and a zero-tolerance policy for discharging firearms, especially on national days, would serve as a strong deterrent. The police could also enlist citizen support; by requesting residents to report aerial firing incidents through police helplines, action could be swiftly taken against those openly flouting the law. There is no shortage of ideas or practical solutions. What is missing is the will to implement them. Until the state demonstrates that the law applies to everyone, and that pulling a trigger in a crowded city carries a lasting cost, these scenes will be repeated. The dead and injured of this Independence Day deserve more than the ritual expressions of concern that follow every such tragedy. Karachi needs intervention from a leadership willing to act — consistently and without fear or favour. Anything less is a tacit admission that the lives lost to this senseless practice simply do not count.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026