President House Says No Provinces Talk at Zardari-Naqvi Meeting

The President House said on Friday that no provincial matters came up at the Zardari Naqvi meeting in Nawabshah, rejecting media reports that President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had discussed creating new provinces.

The clarification came a day after the two men met on Thursday night. Posted on X by the President of Pakistan, it pushed back against coverage that had linked the meeting to the debate over new administrative units.

What the President House said

The statement denied that the provinces had featured in the talks at all. “There is no truth to media reports suggesting that matters concerning the provinces were discussed during the interior minister’s meeting with the president,” it said, according to Dawn.

The statement then set out what the meeting did cover. “Matters concerning national security and the regional situation were discussed during the meeting. However, no discussion took place on matters related to provinces,” it added.

No official handout had been issued after the meeting, so the clarification was the first official word from the Presidency on the talks.

The Zardari Naqvi meeting that started the row

Naqvi flew to Nawabshah by special aircraft for the meeting at Zardari House. It lasted about an hour, and sources said he carried an important message from a senior national figure.

Those reports said the talks covered political affairs, the security situation and the creation of new provinces. Thursday night’s meeting in Nawabshah had drawn wide attention because Naqvi has spent months pressing for new administrative units.

A day earlier in Lahore, Naqvi had renewed his call for a public vote. “Hold a referendum; if the people say so, we can create provinces,” he said, adding that he and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were close to agreement on the need for change.

A debate that keeps growing

The row has run for months. Naqvi first called for additional administrative units on July 30, arguing that the governance system had collapsed and needed a reset, and he has since presented a referendum as the way to settle it.

The proposal has split the ruling coalition. The PPP, which governs Sindh, opposes any move to divide the province. In early September the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution rejecting attempts to divide Sindh, and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah declared that “there will be no compromise on Sindh’s geographical unity”. Bilawal has called for a “full stop” to the debate, and the PPP’s position on Sindh has stayed firm.

The PML-N has yet to take a formal position. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told Geo News on Friday that Parliament cannot be bypassed on a referendum and that new provinces needed a national consensus. “Accordingly, the role of the provincial assemblies cannot be bypassed and negated. This is not appropriate,” he said, inviting the PTI to come to the table.

What the law says about new provinces

The law limits what a referendum alone can achieve. Article 48(6) allows a matter of national importance to be put to a public vote after approval by a joint sitting of Parliament, but it cannot by itself create a new province.

Any change to provincial boundaries needs a constitutional amendment. Article 239 requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament and in the affected provincial assembly, so Sindh’s assembly would have to agree before any part of the province could be carved into a new unit.

Naqvi’s original referendum proposal was framed as a way to let the people decide, but the constitutional route still runs through Parliament and the provincial assemblies.

Frequently asked questions

What did the President House say about the Zardari-Naqvi meeting?

It said no provincial matters were discussed. The talks covered national security and the regional situation.

When and where did Zardari and Naqvi meet?

They met on Thursday night, November 12, at Zardari House in Nawabshah. It lasted about an hour; Naqvi had travelled by special aircraft.

Why did reports link the meeting to new provinces?

Naqvi has campaigned for months for new units and a referendum, and sources quoted in media reports said the meeting covered new provinces. No official handout was issued.

Can a referendum create a new province?

No. Article 48(6) allows a referendum after approval by a joint sitting of Parliament, but creating a province needs an amendment under Article 239, with two-thirds majorities in both houses and the affected assembly.

What is the PPP’s position on new provinces?

The PPP opposes dividing Sindh. The Sindh Assembly passed a resolution in early September rejecting any such move, and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said there will be no compromise on Sindh’s geographical unity.