The Sindh Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution by a majority vote opposing the creation of new provinces and administrative units in Sindh.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presented the resolution in the provincial assembly.
After the resolution was passed, the session was adjourned until 2:30pm on Friday.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah
Speaking on the floor of the provincial assembly, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said any attempt to divide Sindh would not be acceptable. The assembly witnessed a heated debate over proposals to create new provinces and administrative units.
The debate began after an adjournment motion was moved by Khuhro. The PPP leadership decided to hold a detailed discussion so lawmakers from both the government and opposition benches could share their views on the sensitive issue.
Shah said the debate gave lawmakers a chance to present different opinions in the house. He said matters related to Sindh should be discussed and decided in the Sindh Assembly instead of being debated on television programmes or at other forums.
The chief minister accused Opposition Leader Ali Khursheedi of taking contradictory positions. He said the opposition claimed to oppose the division of Sindh, but proposals to create administrative units could change the province’s existing geographical and political structure.
Shah said there was a need to clearly explain the difference between administrative units and new provinces. He said there was no objection to creating additional administrative units to improve governance. However, he warned that if these units were given separate assemblies, chief executives and wide provincial powers, they could effectively become new provinces.
He said creating divisions and districts for administrative purposes was already within the authority of the provincial government. Sindh previously had three divisions, he said, but the number had now increased to seven. Karachi’s districts had also increased from three to seven.
Shah also said strengthening local governments and transferring administrative powers to lower levels was a separate matter from dividing Sindh.
The chief minister said the discussion about new provinces had recently gained attention after a seminar in Lahore where new provinces and administrative units were discussed. He criticised political leaders for discussing the issue at rallies and on television instead of taking it to the relevant assemblies.
He also mentioned statements by MQM leaders Mustafa Kamal, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Farooq Sattar in favour of giving more powers to existing divisions as administrative units.
Shah questioned whether such units could remain purely administrative if they were given their own political and executive structures.
“Name them provinces or administrative units, creating separate administrative structures and powers would lay the foundation for a new provincial system,” he argued.
Shah said population growth alone could not be the reason for creating new provinces. He said administrative needs and ground realities should be considered when making such decisions.
He also recalled Sindh’s historical role in the creation of Pakistan. He said the Sindh Muslim League passed a resolution in Karachi in 1938 supporting the creation of a separate homeland for Muslims. The Sindh Assembly later passed a resolution in 1943 in favour of Pakistan.
He said the Sindh Assembly then passed a historic resolution on June 26, 1947, making Sindh the first province whose assembly decided to join Pakistan. According to Shah, 33 members supported the resolution while 20 voted against it.
Shah said Sindh had repeatedly defended its territorial unity. He recalled that the assembly had passed resolutions against the division of the province several times, including in 2006, 2012, 2014 and 2019.
He warned the National Assembly that any attempt to divide Sindh or change its geographical boundaries without the approval of its elected assembly would not be acceptable.
“The decisions about Sindh’s future should be made by its elected representatives,” he said, adding that the Sindh Assembly would not give up its constitutional right regarding the province’s geographical integrity.
Shah said the PPP had decided to conclude the adjournment-motion debate with a resolution so that the assembly’s position on the matter could be formally recorded.
He said the resolution would make it clear that dividing Sindh “in any manner, shape or form” was unacceptable. He also asked opposition members to support the government in passing a joint resolution on the issue.
However, the opposition suggested that the resolution should also cover the creation and empowerment of administrative units. Shah said this matter could be discussed separately through another resolution but should not be mixed with the main issue of the adjournment motion, which was the division of Sindh.
Opposition Leader Ali Khursheedi
Opposition Leader Ali Khursheedi said his party did not want Sindh to be divided and argued that the assembly should present a united position on the matter.
He questioned the need for another resolution when the assembly had already passed several resolutions against the division of the province.
Khursheedi said the Sindh Assembly represented the entire province and should put aside political differences when dealing with issues affecting Sindh. He asked the government to include the opposition’s proposals in a comprehensive and unanimous resolution.
He said the real issue was the effective transfer of administrative and financial powers rather than creating new provinces.
According to Khursheedi, Sindh’s six existing divisions could be given more powers as administrative units, allowing decision-making and resources to be brought closer to the people. He said the spirit of the 18th Amendment required meaningful devolution of powers from the federal and provincial governments to lower levels.
The opposition leader said decisions about roads, parks and other local development projects should not have to be made by the provincial cabinet. He argued that giving district administrations greater financial and administrative powers could help address problems across Sindh, from Karachi to Obaro.
At the same time, Khursheedi rejected claims that his party wanted to divide Sindh. He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had consistently voted against proposals for dividing the province.
The debate also highlighted tensions between the government and opposition benches. MQM lawmakers walked out of the assembly after failing to agree on the proposed resolution, despite the speaker asking the opposition leader not to leave.
Shah criticised the walkout, saying lawmakers who claimed to oppose the division of Sindh should show their position through their actions as well as their statements.
The chief minister also rejected efforts to portray Karachi as separate from Sindh. He said Karachi was the provincial capital and an integral part of Sindh. He urged political leaders to avoid using language that created a difference between Karachi and other parts of the province.
Shah said the unity of Sindh was more important than the political interests or personal positions of individual leaders.
“We may or may not be here, but Sindh must remain intact,” he said, stressing that the province should continue to exist as a united entity for future generations.
The chief minister ultimately called for the resolution on Sindh’s unity to be presented before the house. He said the seriousness of the issue required the assembly to formally record its position instead of simply ending the debate and leaving the matter to the government.
