Major parties’ conference resolves to resist division of Sindh
HYDERABAD: A multi-party conference organised by the Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) and attended by the PPP and PML-N, besides some nationalist entities, here on Sunday unanimously resolved to resist any decision aimed at creating new provinces or administrative units in Sindh “either through a referendum or a provisional constitutional order”.
It condemned imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
STP Chairman Dr Qadir Magsi read out a joint declaration adopted unanimously at the conference, titled Sindh munjhi Amman (Sindh my mother).
In his speech, he gave an overview of the conference, and said Sindhis didn’t nurse any grudge against those arriving from India after the Partition.
MPC attended by PPP, PML-N and other Sindh-based parties condemns action against KP government
“Sindhis want protection of Sindh’s geographical sanctity because Sindh is a representative part of the Indus Valley Civilisation … all oppressed nations are united against any plan aimed at undermining their geographical and historical identity,” he said.
He said once 2m or 1.5m people gather at the Quaid’s mausoleum to reject the new provinces idea, this would put an end to the ‘game of provinces’ once and for all.
Sindh PPP President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, in his speech, said that when he had tabled an adjournment motion in the provincial assembly on the issue of new provinces and administrative units, under PPP leadership’s directive, the MQM-P and PTI did not support it whereas PML-F lawmakers did not attend the session. It was only PPP with 118 members which was present in the house, he recalled.
“If a Constitution exists, then Sindh has given its verdict,” he said. He said that PPP got share of provinces increased from 36pc to 57pc and also got federation’s share reduced from 67pc to 43pc to ensure provincial autonomy.
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Secretary General Sanaullah Baloch promised to raise voice from Balochistan first if Sindh faced existential threat, but urged Sindh’s leadership to build its case on the basis of rationale and give up egoistic approach.
He said he was willing to talk about ‘taqseem’ which should start from distribution of resources, higher positions in foreign ministry and civil military structure to accommodate an equal number of people from Sindhi and Baloch nations. “Sindhis and Baloch are ready to sacrifice their lives if their community fellows are elevated to the ranks of generals and major-generals but these communities are not given representation in the army,” he observed.
“Why don’t you distribute NFC on the basis of parity instead of population? Let’s sit with [Punjab, Baloch and Sindh brains] and argue on this with facts and figures. Punjab receives Rs20m for every two square kilometres,” he said.
Sindh PML-N President Bashir Memon called for introducing a ‘provincial finance commission’ and empowering LGs in line with the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which talked about administrative, political and financial autonomy. He said Shahrah-i-Bhutto benefits only few colonies and, added that the media wouldn’t discuss anything beyond Karachi and Lahore as if the people of other cities didn’t need anything.
Sindh JUI-F General Secretary Rashid Mahmood Soomro observed that the actual problem perhaps involved usurpation of mineral and other resources. He said his party believed that any such plan would cause bloodshed.
He said while opposing new provinces, one must raise voice over the decaying infrastructure of education and health, as well as the dacoit culture, in Sindh.
He condemned imposition of governor’s rule on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and feared that it would be done to Sindh as well.
National Party Secretary General Changez Khan Baloch said: “Islamabad negates rights of nations and considers them as its colony. Whenever establishment gains power, it starts throwing such feelers”. He said that a collective struggle was needed against the worst-ever tyranny and exploitation because both Sindh and Balochistan were facing existential threat.
Former PTI leader Asad Umar forewarned that any plan to divide Sindh would result in bloodshed. He said he didn’t find hatred among people of Karachi against Sindhis, “but they do want their rights protected”.
Issues of Karachi could be resolved through fully empowered local governments working worldwide. He was critical of the imposition of emergency in the KP, and noted that it had been done by the party that gave the country a Constitution. He cautioned that all political parties should now be ready for their ‘collective burial’.
Sindh High Court Bar Association’s Karachi President Haseeb Jamali said today, basic structure of Constitution was being altered after passage of the 26th and 27th amendments.
Initially independence of judiciary was attacked and many did not judge what was going to happen when these amendments were introduced. Actually, he said, the real issue was about ‘controlling’ resources of Sindh. “What has been done to the KP is not seen anywhere. A weaker form-47 government exists here which introduces acts and amendments overnight,” he remarked.
Karachi Bar Association President Amir Warraich said: “Democracy has been murdered in KP today”. He termed the action a beginning, and said he could not rule out a similar step in Sindh if it started reacting over the issue of provinces.
Jamaat-i-Islami’s Sindh Naib Emir Nasrullah Channa, Seraiki community leader Rashid Aziz Bhutta and Punjabi community leader Razzaq Bajwa also briefly spoke.
PML-N’s Khawaja Sa’ad Rafiq’s and Hamid Mir’s video messages were also played.
STP reschedules Nov 15 rally
STP Chief Dr Qadir Magsi, taking a jibe at a conglomerate of nationalist group (the Jeay Sindh Rahbar Committee) for choosing Nov 8 for its rally in Karachi, remarked: “Perhaps this group is up against Sindh, not against me … otherwise it would have scheduled it for Dec 15”. He announced rescheduling his party’s rally in Karachi for Nov 29.
Yunus Buneri (ANP), Saleem Tareen (Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party), Siddique Agha (Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party), Samar Jatoi (Sindh Hari Committee), Imdad Kazi (Communist Party of Pakistan), Siraj Siyal (AJP) and Ali Nawaz (AWP) also spoke.
Leaders of major component parties of the Grand Democratic Alliance — like Zain Shah of the Sindh United Party, Ayaz Latif Palijo of the Qaumi Awami Tehreek, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Dr Zulfikar Mirza — did not turn up. Zain Shah had reportedly conveyed his reservations to the STP over inviting PPP and PML-N to the conference.
Ayaz Latif Palijo did send his party’s Secretary General Mazhar Rahujo to the conference as he himself had to lead his own party’s rally in Nooriabad.
Awami Tehreek was also invited, but its leadership did not attend the conference due to the presence of the PPP and PML-N.
Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2026
