Naqvi says he will stand with public if they reject new provinces

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said he would side with the public if people opposed creating new provinces, stressing that any move to establish them would require agreement from everyone.

Speaking at a press conference at the NCCIA in Lahore, Naqvi said all political parties needed to have a say on the issue. Seeking the public's opinion was the best way forward, he said, adding that any other proposed solution should also be taken to the people.

“If the public says new provinces should not be formed, I stand with the public,” he said. Naqvi maintained that new provinces would be created only if everyone agreed; without that agreement, they would not be formed.

He acknowledged that parties held their own positions, including the Pakistan Peoples Party. He said every party mattered to them, including the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and stressed that he and the PML-N were united. Any decision, he added, would be based on agreement rather than division.

Asked about the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and his family, Naqvi said rumours had circulated for one or two days about what might happen. They would receive their legal entitlements and whatever relief the court granted, he said, adding that everything else remained unchanged.

The interior minister also said there was zero tolerance for anyone blackmailing girls. Women were being targeted in most online fraud cases, he added.

Naqvi described eliminating corruption from the country as their responsibility and said action had already been taken against corrupt elements within the Interior Ministry. He urged people to identify those involved in corruption, promising action against them.

Turning to land encroachment in Islamabad, Naqvi condemned the ruthlessness with which land had been occupied. He claimed there was no comparable example anywhere in the world.