HYDERABAD: Leaders of nationalist parties have condemned Governor Imran Ismail’s statement on creation of administrative units in Sindh and demanded that a resolution be adopted in the Senate, provincial and national assemblies, calling for invoking Article 6 against all those who talk about division of Sindh.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo said that international imperialist forces conspired to break up Pakistan and create “a new Israel”. Sindh has belonged to people of Sindh for thousands of years; it was not a conquered territory.

It was the province which created Pakistan, he said.

He reminded the governor and Muttahida Qaumi Movement that Karachi was not only the capital city of the province but in fact it was heart of Sindh and no power on earth could break up the province. If anybody tried to snatch Sindh from its people, they would wreak havoc, he said and advised the federal government to expel “agents of international imperialist forces” from its ranks.

He said that Imran Ismail should behave like a governor and should avoid trying to use the language of Altaf Hussain. International imperialist forces were trying to create disturbances in the shape of tensions on borders and incidents of terrorism inside the country because anti-Pakistan forces did not want to see the country progressing. The country should be free of corruption, price hike, water shortage and unemployment, he said.

He blamed ill-advised economic policies for rising inflation and corruption and said that making comment against Sindh amid such conditions was tantamount to enmity with the province.

It appeared the remnants of Altaf Hussain were now trying to seek shelter in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to implement agenda of international forces.

He said the resolution should be passed by Senate, provincial and national assemblies to invoke Article 6 against all those who talked about division of Sindh.

Awami Tehreek president Sajjad Ahmed Chandio and office-bearers Rasool Bux Khaskheli and Hoorunnisa Palijo slammed the governor’s statement and said that Sindh would always remain one.

They said in a joint statement that those who were conspiring against Sindh’s integrity would be doomed and termed Sindh governor’s statement an attack on Pakistan.

Every child of Sindh would defend his motherland, they said and added that PTI and MQM had always played into the hands of anti-Pakistan forces and hit the integrity of the country.

They said that Sindhi people would foil all conspiracies through political struggle against division of Sindh into administrative units.

PTI had miserably failed, they said.

Awami Jamhoori Party president Vishnumal and other leaders said the governor had no moral authority to issue such a statement and he should therefore be removed immediately.

They wondered how could a man who held a constitutional position make such a statement and said that Imran Khan must be behind it.

First he had Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui issue such a statement to annoy Sindhis and now the governor had been used to make similar remarks.

Jeay Sindh Liberal Front chairman Nawaz Khan Zaunr also condemned the governor’s statement and said that division of Sindh was not acceptable in any name.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2019