Sindh bristles at carve-up proposal

It described Sindh as a "historic, civilisational and constitutional entity" whose identity and territorial continuity extended over centuries, and recalled that the province had entered Pakistan as a distinct and undivided province.

The resolution also highlighted Sindh's role in the creation of Pakistan, noting that the Sindh Legislative Assembly was the first provincial legislature of British India to adopt a resolution in support of the establishment of Pakistan on March 3, 1943.

It further recalled that at a special sitting on June 26, 1947, the assembly passed a resolution declaring that Sindh would join the newly created Pakistan as a constituent state. The house said the people of Sindh had repeatedly expressed, through their elected representatives, their determination to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of the province.

It noted that the assembly had previously adopted resolutions in 1948, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019 and, most recently, on Feb 21, affirming the unity and territorial integrity of Sindh and rejecting attempts to divide the province or detach any part of it.

The resolution said the Constitution established a federal system based on the autonomy, integrity and constitutional rights of the federating units.

It referred specifically to Article 239(4), which provides that a constitutional amendment that would alter the limits of a province cannot be presented to the president for assent unless it has been passed by the provincial assembly concerned by at least two-thirds of its total membership.

The house "unequivocally" rejected any proposal, plan, scheme or constitutional arrangement seeking to divide Sindh, alter its existing territorial limits or create a new province out of its territory. It also rejected any plan to detach any district, division, region or territory from Sindh or place any part of the province under a separate or federal administrative arrangement.

The resolution declared that "Sindh is one and shall remain one" and that every district, division and region currently forming part of the province were integral and inseparable parts of it.

The assembly reaffirmed that it would not consent to any alteration of Sindh's territorial limits and would exercise its constitutional authority under Article 239(4) to safeguard the province's unity and territorial integrity.

It also called for the constitutional rights and integrity of all federating units to be respected, saying any discussion on restructuring the federation should take place strictly within the framework of the Constitution, democratic consent and the will of the people concerned.

The resolution called upon the federal government, Parliament, political parties and state institutions to respect the "clearly and repeatedly expressed democratic will" of the people of Sindh and their elected provincial assembly and refrain from initiating, supporting or entertaining any proposal that would alter the territorial integrity of the province.

It further said Sindh's unity and territorial integrity transcended party politics, adding that the house stood united in safeguarding the province's historic, constitutional and territorial identity through peaceful, democratic and constitutional means. As many as 105 PPP lawmakers were present in the house and stood on their benches after the resolution was passed.

They also raised banners carrying the slogan "Sindh Dharti Maa" (Sindh, the motherland) inside the assembly. Murad rejects calls for division. Addressing the session, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the province could never be divided, stating that the decision regarding the division would be "made by members of the Sindh Assembly, not businessmen from Lahore.

""If you have the courage, bring a resolution for the division of Sindh and show us. As long as even one member among us is alive, the province will not be divided," CM Shah warned.

The chief minister stated that it would be the Sindh Assembly which would decide on the matter, saying that there would be a debate in the assembly and that "no one will decide on division on TV or at a rally.

"CM Shah added that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had stated that they would do what the people wish, so let there be debate and if needed they would pass the resolution again. He said that in the previous session, some people had spoken in favour of the division of Sindh.

However, he stressed that "Sindh will always remain one. "He also noted that the provincial assembly had previously passed several resolutions against the division of Sindh. These resolutions were passed in 1948, 2000, 2014, 2019 and 2026.

Faryal Talpur. Addressing the same forum, PPP Women's Wing President Faryal Talpur termed the issue a matter of concern, saying the entire assembly was deeply concerned about it and that no one would want Sindh to be divided or new provinces to be created in the province.

"This is the resolve of the Peoples Party, and we are all united on it. Every child of Sindh stands firm on the principle that we will not allow Sindh to be divided. We will not sell Sindh.

This is our motherland, and we will protect it," she said. She said there would be no compromise on the issue, adding that, as Saeed Ghani had said, if necessary, "we would have to resign, give up our memberships or even give our lives" for it.

Talpur said future generations would question why assembly members were present but failed to stand with Sindh. "Tomorrow, future generations and your children will ask why you did not vote in favour of Sindh and why you failed to support the resolution concerning the province in the Senate," she said.

She said "history does not forgive anyone" and always "remembers" the decisions and events of its time. Talpur said the sacrifices of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto would continue to be remembered in history.

"The decisions being taken today on the issue of Sindh will be recorded and remembered by history, and assembly members should recognise the responsibility they carry and understand that their decisions on the issue of Sindh would have lasting consequences," she said.