HYDERABAD: Leaders of Sindh Action Committee, an alliance of major nationalist parties, have rejected formation of parliamentary committee on new provinces and Sindh Assembly’s resolution for handing over provincial functions to the federation.

The committee, which met in Jamshoro on Wednesday with its convener Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah in the chair, said the two resolutions passed by Sindh Assembly regarding Articles 144 and 147 were a conspiracy aimed at imposing One Unit.

The meeting attended by Sindh United Party president Syed Zain Shah, Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo, Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz chairman Riaz Ali Chandio, Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party leader Hoat Khan Gadhi, Awami Jamhoori Party president Syed Jalal Shah, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz president Aslam Khairpuri, Porhiyat Muzahemat Tehreek president Syed Masroor Shah and others decided to observe 24 hours hunger strikes in divisional headquarters on Jan 7 and 8.

Palijo said that SAC had demanded that parliamentary committee on the creation of new provinces should be disbanded immediately and resolutions passed by Sindh Assembly about functions of provinces under Articles 144 and 147 should also be withdrawn forthwith.

He said that the committee had decided to observe hunger strike in divisional headquarters on Jan 7 and 8 against the conspiracies against Sindh.

The committee, he said, had urged Sindh’s bar councils to convene to pass resolutions against the anti-Sindh decisions. He equated the passage of resolution over Articles 144 and 147 with rolling back of 18th constitutional amendment by PPP government and added that PPP was doing it to perpetuate its rule and make Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari prime minister in future.

He said that resolutions were aimed at handing over provincial government’s functions to the federation to allow investment in mineral resources. Not only this but Sindh’s islands and lands were also being handed over to federation under a conspiracy, he said.

He said the federal government with the consent of PPP had formed a committee to amend the Constitution to tinker with Sindh’s geography and create new provinces. It was an attempt to impose One Unit to occupy the province, he said.

He said that despite lapse of four months various districts were still under water and people were living under open skies in winter season. They were facing diseases while millions of dollars international aid was falling prey to favouritism and corruption, he said.

He pointed out that agricultural loans were not written off and seed or fertiliser were not provided to farmers to cultivate their land for next crop. Internally displaced persons who reached Karachi were being forced to return to their villages, he said.

He said that efforts were being made to impose economic emergency but orgies of elites were not being stopped.

Riaz Chandio said that parliamentary committee on new provinces was a big conspiracy and accused PPP of destroying the province for the sake of power. Natural resources and executive powers of provincial government were being handed over to the federation, he said.

SUP leader Roshan Buriro said that PPP had always looted wealth and resources of Sindh for the sake of power. It had sold Sindh’s land and now it was amending law to withdraw its authority to get fourth term in government in a row.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2022