KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the inflammatory remarks made by India’s Defence Minister claiming that Sindh was a part of India. The resolution was jointly moved by both the government and the opposition.
Speaking on the resolution, members from both sides of the aisle reaffirmed their unwavering resolve that, like the nation, the provincial assembly also stands united on the defence of Pakistan. Legislators stated that Pakistan’s defence remains in strong hands and that the country’s armed forces are fully capable of defending the motherland.
They said that during the recent conflict, Pakistan’s forces had demonstrated their professional excellence before the world. They added that India is suffering from panic and insecurity and should instead be concerned about its own stability.
The resolution from the government side was presented by PPP lawmaker and provincial minister Mukesh Chawla. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Lanjar informed the House that the opposition had endorsed the resolution, making it a joint motion. He suggested that the resolution also be read out by an opposition member. MQM’s Mahesh Kumar Hesija accordingly read out the text.
Chief Minister Sindh and Leader of the House Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the impression given by India’s Defence Minister was highly condemnable. He stated that Sindh existed even before ancient history, long before the Common Era. He added that the resolution encapsulated this entire history. “I am not talking just about 1947 or the British era,” he said.
“Historic maps of Sindh included Multan and Makran. It was the Sindh chapter of the Muslim League that had moved the Pakistan Resolution. We are the people who created Pakistan. Our elders’ sacrifices made this country possible.”
Murad Ali Shah said the Indian minister’s statement reflected sheer panic. “The person who made this statement was born in Uttar Pradesh and has never even tasted the waters of the Indus. That is why his reasoning is flawed. Anyone who has drunk the waters of the Indus cannot betray this land—though rotten eggs can be found anywhere.” He declared unequivocally that Sindh is part of Pakistan and “will remain so, God willing.”
He urged the federal government to circulate the resolution internationally and inform the world that India seeks control over the Indus River—something the Pakistani nation and armed forces would never allow.
Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi said the world had witnessed how Pakistan responded to India during the recent conflict. He termed the Indian minister’s statement provocative and said, “We will take back Hyderabad Deccan and Bihar from India.” He said his party supported the resolution beyond political affiliations.
Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said that in the recent war the Pakistani armed forces and public had bravely faced India and inflicted a decisive defeat. He said that although India may have a larger army and economy, “no one can match Pakistan in actual combat.”
According to him, Prime Minister Modi did not have the courage to brief his own nation on the war situation and predicted that India would eventually fragment. He reiterated that Pakistan is united and Sindh will always remain a part of Pakistan.
Education Minister Sardar Shah strongly criticised Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, calling his statement ignorant and historically uninformed. “Sindh is a 6,000-year-old land,” he said. “Sindh was once an independent country and later chose to become a province.
Everyone knows how Muslims are treated in India.” He said that if India can make such claims, “tomorrow we could say that Gujarat and Haryana were part of Sindh and should be returned.” He condemned the Indian minister’s remarks in the strongest terms.
MQM lawmaker Muhammad Wasim advised India to “stop dreaming and face reality,” adding that India had still not absorbed the lesson from what happened in May when Pakistan defeated it decisively.
PPP’s Giyan Chand Essrani said he was proud to belong to Mianri and to be a minister in Sindh. He said Modi was in complete panic and feared Pakistan immensely. He praised Pakistan’s armed forces for their ability to counter Indian aggression.
PTI’s backed, Rehan Bandukda said his party condemned the statement and affirmed that Sindh was inseparable from Pakistan. MQM’s Aamir Siddiqui said the Indian defence minister seemed to have forgotten how many aircraft Rashid Minhas had shot down. He claimed that after the recent conflict, Modi had been left ashamed before the world and that India had no narrative left, resorting instead to irresponsible statements for media hype.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Muha-mmad Farooq said India was isolated and panicking, calling the statement idiotic. He recalled that Sindh was the first province to hoist Pakistan’s flag. “Modi should worry about himself, not us,” he said, adding that an Indian aircraft had crashed during an air show in Dubai.
After the discussion, the Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution, urging the Government of Pakistan to circulate it globally and highlight India’s alleged intentions to seize the Indus River. The resolution also called for condemnation of the Indian defence minister’s remarks at international forums. The session was adjourned until 10 am.
The Assembly also re-approved the Sindh Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill 2025 after the governor returned it with objections. Law Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar presented the bill again before the House.
During its passage, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Farooq Ahmed objected that lawmakers had not been provided copies of the amended bill. He said members had no information about what clauses had been added or altered. He argued that the bill ought to have been reintroduced in complete form.
Throughout the session, several members also raised “call attention notices,” including concerns about the spread of dengue in Karachi and other public-interest matters.
Sindh Minister for Culture Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah said the department, despite limited financial resources, was doing its utmost to support artists and promote tourism across the province. He was responding to written and supplementary questions during the Question Hour related to the Culture Department. The session was presided over by Speaker Awais Qadir Shah.
Zulfiqar Shah said that after the 18th Amendment, the federal government no longer provides direct funding and that ministerial subjects were devolved. MQM’s Abdul Wasim pointed out that tourist sites lacked adequate facilities. The minister acknowledged the issue, noting that the tourism department’s budget was extremely small, forcing reliance on public-private partnerships.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025