The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has made clear it is opposed to any proposal to divide Sindh, with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari making it clear that it is against this proposal at a meeting in London. Pakistan is facing a political debate on creating new provinces and administrative units as this is what would have been discussed.
The meeting lasted around five hours and also had senior members of the Bhutto-Zardari family, including Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, present. The PPP leadership discussed the issue of Sindh’s territorial integrity and supported the Sindh Assembly’s position against any territorial changes to the province without the consent of the provincial legislature.
PPP leadership has maintained that any discussion on creating new provinces will be based on political consensus and follow constitutional and parliamentary processes. The party also said they would not respond to any proposal that could change the territorial arrangement in Sindh including the separation of Karachi and the creation of a separate southern province.
PPP Backs Sindh Assembly’s Stand
The Sindh Assembly rejected proposals to divide the province or create new administrative units without the approval of the provincial legislature. The resolution has given the PPP government a stronger position that any change of Sindh’s borders must come from the provincial assembly and cannot be made by decisions outside the constitutional framework.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has also strongly defended the province’s territorial integrity. Speaking during an adjournment motion on the unity of Sindh, Shah said it should be addressed through constitutional and parliamentary channels.
He questioned who was supporting the division of the province and who was prepared to oppose it. The chief minister also criticised the fact that discussions about Sindh’s territorial structure had reportedly taken place outside the provincial assembly before being raised through the formal political process.
For the PPP, the issue is crucial because Sindh has been the party’s largest electoral base for decades. The party retains a strong hold on provincial politics and any significant territorial restructuring could alter the voting pattern in the province.
Why Sindh Matters to the PPP
Sindh is a political bastion of the PPP and has been the center of its organisational and electoral strength. This party enjoys a huge support base in rural Sindh and has had a grip in provincial governments.
PPP sources say that dividing Sindh could alter the political balance by changing constituencies, electoral boundaries and the party’s traditional vote base. Any significant restructuring would have consequences for the Sindh Assembly and for the party’s national representation.
The issue is especially sensitive for Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the country’s largest economic centre. At times, proposals in the past to have more administrative separation for Karachi, or to have new provinces for Karachi or some kind of new provinces have also been discussed by politicians. Smaller administrative units of the bigger administrative units, supporters say, would improve governance, public service delivery and political representation.
But the PPP-led Sindh government has framed the debate mainly around territorial integrity, constitutional authority and political consensus.
The debate over new provinces is on.
The issue of new provinces in Pakistan isn’t new. Those for administrative restructuring have claimed that larger provinces are difficult to govern and that smaller administrative units can help local people to make decisions.
Opponents, however, often view the issue through the lens of political representation, regional identity and constitutional authority. In Sindh, the question has an additional political dimension because the province is important to the PPP.
The party has rejected the notion that provincial boundaries need to be reshaped without broad political agreement. This is also the direction the leadership has taken: any restructuring should be done by constitutional and parliamentary mechanisms.
PPP Raises Concerns Over Wider Political Motives
PPP sources also have worried about the broader political implications of proposals for administrative restructuring. As the sources mentioned in the report say, many in the party perceive the push for change as an attempt to decentralise political power in ways that would weaken civilian political authority.
They have also raised concerns about the possible role of Pakistan’s military establishment in discussions about provincial boundaries and administrative restructuring. Any territorial reorganisation backed by unelected institutions would set a precedent for greater military involvement in civilian political affairs, according to the PPP leadership.
The issue comes at a time of increased political tension between PPP leadership, the federal government and Pakistan’s military establishment. Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are in London, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Zardari there recently. Political de-escalation was among the issues discussed during that meeting.
For now, the PPP appears determined to preserve a united Sindh and to resist any attempt to split the province without a broad political and constitutional consensus. Sindh’s territorial issue is still a politically sensitive issue in the months to come as the arguments over new provinces in Pakistan continue to be aired.
