Summary Mian Amer Mahmood has urged practical steps to improve life for 250m Pakistanis, stressing better governance, stronger local governments and smaller administrative units to facilitate public service.
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Mian Amer Mahmood, chairman of Dunya Media Group, has called for practical measures to improve the lives of Pakistan’s 250 million people, stressing the need to focus on public welfare and the delivery of essential services.
Addressing officers undergoing training at the Pakistan Administrative Services Academy, Mian Amer said the country had not achieved the level of development it was capable of attaining.
He said he had started writing about smaller administrative units in 2008, clarifying that the discussion was not about dividing Pakistan but about exploring ways to improve governance and facilitate citizens.
Emphasising the importance of public service, he said local governments should play an effective role in serving people and addressing their needs.
Mian Amer added that his discussion had not involved personal or political matters. He also highlighted the importance of asking questions, saying that doing so makes it easier to understand issues and their underlying complexities.
Referring to Pakistan’s administrative structure at the time of independence, he said the country had been given four provinces in 1947, while East Pakistan constituted the fifth part and no longer exists as part of the country.
He said today’s discussion would focus exclusively on Pakistan’s four provinces. He said Punjab is larger than 182 countries worldwide, Sindh than 162 countries, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa than 152 countries, and Balochistan than 172 countries.
The Dunya Media Group chairman said the situation in Balochistan, coupled with the vast distances between areas, was creating challenges for law enforcement agencies. He noted that following a terrorist incident in a remote area, it could take the administration an entire day to reach the location.
He said clear, data-driven answers to these challenges remained elusive, with discussions often dominated by emotional slogans rather than practical solutions to the underlying problems.
He said that when concerns about administrative boundaries and governance were raised, the response often centred on the argument that Pakistan would not be divided because the motherland was like a mother.
Mian Amer noted that such emotional responses did not provide clear answers to the underlying issues. He also highlighted that provincial boundaries and administrative jurisdictions had continued to change over time.
