Pakistan, July 7 -- For decades, every discussion about creating new provinces in Pakistan has followed the same predictable script. The debate quickly becomes one of language, ethnicity and political identity. Emotions replace reason, political interests overshadow national priorities, and another opportunity for meaningful administrative reform slips away.

The problem is not the idea of creating new provinces. The problem is the basis on which we have been trying to create them.

A country's administrative boundaries are created to help governments govern efficiently, deliver public services and promote development. As population expands, economies evolve, and cities grow into regional powerhouses, administrative structures must also e...