This refers to the article ‘More provinces’ (June 7, 2026) by Dr Farrukh Saleem. The article calls for further improving governance at the grassroots level but does not offer a solution to improve governance at the federal level in Islamabad. The two are intertwined and inseparable. It also ignores Islamabad’s mismanagement of certain critical national issues that pose an existential risk. Balochistan is burning, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is struggling against terrorism and Karachi and Sindh feel isolated from Islamabad. Public anger is also raging in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The fragility of the economy is increasing dependence on IMF bailouts and external support. The population growls in pain with inflation soaring, joblessness on the rise and poverty expanding. The government in Islamabad has failed to find a solution. The real problem is Islamabad’s inertia, complacency and stubborn immobility.
Arif Majeed
Karachi
