KARACHI: Opposition members joined the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday in defending Sindh’s territorial unity, but called for devolution of powers, action against corruption and greater attention to Karachi’s problems as the Sindh Assembly entered the third consecutive day of debate on the creation of new administrative units.
The debate was held on an adjournment motion moved by senior PPP parliamentarian Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and presided over by Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony. The proceedings exposed a clear divide over the meaning of “administrative units”. While PPP lawmakers firmly opposed any change to Sindh’s boundaries, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members repeatedly stressed that they were not demanding the division of Sindh but stronger administrative arrangements to improve governance.
Universities Minister Ismail Rahu said it was regrettable that the assembly was discussing the division of Sindh. He challenged those seeking “administrative units” to explain clearly what they meant, saying Sindh would not accept its division in any form. Provincial Minister for Sports and Agriculture Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar said those demanding new provinces lacked an understanding of Sindh’s history and the Constitution. He said Sindh’s future could not be discussed without taking its history into account.
“We are united under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto. Whenever Sindh is threatened, every Sindhi will resist,” he said. Industries Minister Jam Ikramullah Dharejo said the PPP could never compromise on Sindh’s integrity and declared Karachi an inseparable part of the province. Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Farooq, however, said defending Sindh did not mean ignoring Karachi’s grievances. He said Karachi was not merely a city that collected taxes but also generated them, and urged the government to address corruption and give people their rights rather than trying to silence their voices. “People’s voices cannot be silenced through debate alone. Instead of trying to silence Karachi’s people, the problems forcing them to raise their voices should be resolved,” he said.
MQM lawmaker Qurrat-ul-Ain said her party was demanding administrative units, not the break-up of Sindh. Citing Turkey’s 81 provinces and the United States’ 50 states, she said Pakistan, with a population of around 250 million, had only four provinces.
“Administrative units are necessary. They will improve the system. We are not talking about dividing Sindh,” she said. MQM members Farhan Ansari and Kiran Masood also insisted that their party had never called for Sindh’s division. Ansari said MQM members were “as much Sindhi and as much Pakistani” as anyone else in the assembly and that nobody needed a certificate to prove loyalty to Sindh or Pakistan. Masood said Pakistan’s growing population required additional administrative units and urged lawmakers not to allow prejudice to stand in the way of administrative reform.
PPP lawmakers rejected the argument, saying administrative demands could not be separated from the question of Sindh’s unity. PPP’s Halar Wassan said Karachi was an integral part of Sindh and no new province would be created in the province. PPP member Heer Soho recalled that the assembly had already passed eight resolutions against Sindh’s division and said there could be no compromise on its unity.
Sardar Khan Chandio said 90 per cent of the people of Sindh had rejected the idea of new provinces and called for legislation against those making what he termed linguistic speeches. MQM members objected, but returned to their seats after assurances from the speaker and Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
The debate also produced heated exchanges over political motives. MQM’s Abdullah Sheikh alleged that rallies were being organized and people provoked to participate in them to divert attention from corruption. MQM’s Rashid Khan accused the PPP of using the “Sindh card” to conceal its failures and alleged that the party was trying to create tension between Sindhi- and Urdu-speaking communities. PPP’s Nadir Magsi rejected such arguments, saying Sindh was being targeted and warning that a situation similar to that in Balochistan was being created in the province. “Five crore Sindhis will not allow Sindh to be divided. Karachi is Sindh and Sindh is Karachi,” he said.
PPP members repeatedly stressed that Sindh had historically welcomed people from different backgrounds. Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said he was proud to speak Urdu while also being a son of Sindh and called for unity on the issue. “I am proud of speaking Urdu. I am also a son of this soil,” he said, adding that no decision concerning Sindh would be taken outside the assembly. PPP’s Jam Mehtab Dahar offered a somewhat different emphasis, saying lawmakers should focus on improving the existing provincial and administrative system rather than arguing over division. Laws, he said, could be amended and improved through consensus and legislation.
PTI member Bilal Hussain Khan Jadoon said the Constitution and rule of law lacked supremacy in the country. He said his party wanted both the federation and provinces strengthened and believed the future of Sindh should be determined according to the aspirations of its people. Several PPP lawmakers called for the current resolution to be the last on the issue. Sadia Javed said elected assemblies, rather than television talk shows and conferences, were the proper forum for such matters. Marvi Rashdi said the assembly was defending Sindh and described those demanding new provinces as “living in a fool’s paradise.”
The debate also touched on the controversial Jinnahpur episode. PPP’s Surendar Vilasai referred to the old controversy and alleged that a former general had said MQM was created by General Zia-ul-Haq. MQM’s Rana Shaukat, meanwhile, recalled that administrative powers had been devolved to divisions and districts during General Pervez Musharraf’s rule without dividing Sindh. The debate was continuing when the report was filed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026