Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ruled out any division of the province, according to Dawn, as the provincial assembly opened a debate on the creation of new provinces.
The debate began in the Sindh Provincial Assembly, with Shah asserting that Sindh will never be divided. His remarks came as lawmakers discussed proposals for new provinces, a topic that has periodically surfaced in Pakistan’s federal politics.
Dawn reports that Shah’s statement was a direct response to the assembly’s initiation of the debate. The chief minister’s position aligns with other political voices in the province. Nida Khuhro, a political figure, was quoted by Minute Mirror as saying that no map can divide the people of Sindh.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which governs Sindh, has also weighed in on the matter. According to Dawn, the PPP stated that any new provinces must be created through the constitutional process, signalling a cautious approach to the debate.
The discussion over new provinces is not new in Pakistan. South Asian Voices, in an analysis, linked the debate to the fiscal politics of the country’s federalism, noting that the creation of provinces carries significant financial and administrative implications.
The debate in Sindh’s assembly is part of a wider national conversation about provincial boundaries and resource distribution. While some groups have called for new provinces to address local governance concerns, Sindh’s leadership has consistently opposed any move that would split the province.
What to watch next is whether the debate in the assembly leads to any formal proposal or remains a symbolic discussion, given the constitutional hurdles required to alter provincial boundaries.
