The Sindh Assembly held a heated debate this week over renewed calls to divide the province, with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah firmly rejecting the idea and insisting that only elected lawmakers, not businesspeople or media commentators, have the authority to decide the province’s future.
An Adjournment Motion Sparks Debate
The discussion was triggered by an adjournment motion opposing the division of Sindh, moved by PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro. The motion opened the floor to a wide-ranging debate among lawmakers from across the political spectrum, with the province’s administrative future taking centre stage in the assembly session.
CM Murad Ali Shah’s Firm Stance
Addressing the assembly, CM Murad Ali Shah declared that “as long as even one of us is alive, our province will not be divided,” making clear that any decision on Sindh’s administrative structure rests solely with its elected representatives. Speaker Awais Qadir Shah echoed this position, telling lawmakers they were free to debate the matter but stressing that “Sindh will always remain one.”
MQM-P Draws a Distinction
The MQM-P took a notably different position during the debate, arguing that creating new administrative units within Sindh would not amount to dividing the province. Party legislator Rehan Akram told the assembly that “creating administrative units does not mean dividing Sindh,” a distinction that drew sharp pushback from PPP lawmakers.
PPP Pushes Back
PPP lawmaker Dr Sikandar Shoro rejected the administrative-unit framing outright, pledging that his party would continue to “defend Sindh intensely” against any move that could be seen as weakening the province’s unity. The exchange highlighted the deep political sensitivity around the issue, particularly given Sindh’s history of resistance to boundary changes.
Debate Remains Inconclusive
Despite the lengthy exchange, the assembly session ended without a formal resolution on the matter and was adjourned until the following sitting. The MQM-P subsequently framed the debate as a political win, suggesting the PPP had previously been reluctant to allow such discussions on the assembly floor at all.
The issue is expected to resurface in future sessions as parties continue to stake out their positions ahead of any broader conversation on local government reform and administrative restructuring in the province.