Sindh Assembly declares Karachi 'Inseparable Part' of Province, rejects division moves

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring Karachi an “inseparable part” of Sindh and rejecting any proposal to carve it out as a separate province or federal territory.

The resolution, tabled by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, stated that the House “unequivocally condemns and rejects any conspiracy aimed at the division of Sindh or the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi.”

“Karachi is, and shall forever remain, an integral and inseparable part of Sindh,” it declared.

MQM-P’s Federal Territory Demand Sparks Debate

The move comes amid repeated calls by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for federal intervention in Karachi and for the city to be declared a federal territory.

While lone Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) MPA Muhammad Farooq and PTI lawmakers Shabbir Qureshi and Sajjad Soomro supported the resolution, MQM-P members refrained from backing it in their speeches, arguing that it contradicted the Constitution.

The MQM-P and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have been engaged in a heated exchange following the deadly Gul Plaza fire, trading allegations of misgovernance during their respective tenures in city administration.

Earlier this week, MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal, who also serves as federal health minister, criticised the provincial administration for what he termed systemic neglect of Karachi’s residents.

Responding to the opposition, CM Murad rejected claims that the resolution was unconstitutional and challenged critics to identify any clause that violated the law. He recalled that a similar unanimous resolution against the division of Sindh was passed in 2019 with MQM-P’s support.

“The members of MQM cannot play on both sides of the fence,” he said.

Addressing the House, he asserted that no one could divide Karachi or separate it from Sindh. “Karachi is an inseparable part of Sindh,” he reiterated, condemning statements advocating a separate provincial status for the metropolis.

He invoked the slogan “Pakistan Khappay,” associated with President Asif Ali Zardari, emphasising PPP’s commitment to national unity and federalism.

“PPP will never go against Pakistan’s integrity. It is you who speak of dividing Pakistan,” he said, adding that any move to alter provincial boundaries would require a two-thirds majority of the Sindh Assembly.

Murad also recalled that the province had previously resisted the One Unit scheme imposed in 1955 and noted that Sindh’s restoration in 1970 reflected the people’s resolve to safeguard their identity.

Resolution Cites History and Constitutional Safeguards

The resolution referenced Article 239 of the 1973 Constitution, which requires the consent of more than two-thirds of the concerned provincial assembly for any alteration of provincial boundaries.

It detailed Sindh’s historical role, noting that it was the first province to pass a resolution in favour of Pakistan and highlighting Karachi’s evolution from its early identity as Kolachi into the country’s principal port and economic hub.

“The sons and daughters of Sindh — from Karachi to Ketibundar, from Kashmore to Karoonjhar — have collectively contributed to building Karachi into the economic engine of Pakistan,” the resolution stated, describing the city as a symbol of unity in diversity.

It cautioned that any attempt to fragment Sindh or detach Karachi would undermine national cohesion and contradict constitutional principles and democratic norms.

Concluding his speech, CM Murad declared: “Even the thought, dream or idea of breaking Sindh will never succeed.”