Sindh Assembly passes resolution rejecting calls to separate Karachi from province

The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring that Karachi was and would remain an integral and inseparable part of the province amid renewed debate over the constitutional status of the city.

The resolution, introduced by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, comes as last month Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal called for Karachi to be declared the economic capital of Pakistan and brought under federal control, arguing that the metropolis had paid an “unbearable price” for political compromises made elsewhere.

Kamal had demanded that Karachi be declared a federal territory under Articles 148 and 149 of the Constitution and formally recognized as the economic capital of the country within the existing constitutional framework.

The assembly session, chaired by Speaker Syed Owais Qadir Shah, adopted the resolution, which said any attempt to divide Sindh or create a separate province including Karachi would be against history, the Constitution and democratic values, and pose a threat to national unity and federal structure.

Presenting the resolution, the chief minister said discussions had taken place in some quarters on the separation of Karachi from Sindh, which he strongly condemned. He said Pakistan was created by Sindh and expressed hope that members of all parties would support the motion.

He clarified that the resolution did not name any individual or political party.

Read: From tragedy to blame, MQM and PPP exchange fire over Karachi governance

The text describes Sindh not just as an administrative unit, but as one of the world’s oldest living civilizations – the land of Mohenjo Daro and the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization – with a distinct cultural and historical identity predating modern political boundaries.

He noted that Karachi, historically known as Kolachi, emerged from the soil of Sindh and remained its port, commercial center and gateway to the world even after becoming the country’s first capital in 1947.

Referring to the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency in 1936 and the Pakistan Resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly in 1943, the resolution said the province had played a founding role in the creation of the country and could not allow the division of its historic territory.

He further cited resistance to the One Unit project in 1955 and the restoration of Sindh’s separate status in 1970 as examples of public determination, adding that under Article 239 of the 1973 Constitution, provincial boundaries could not be changed without a two-thirds majority.

The resolution describes Karachi as Pakistan’s economic lifeline and warns that any move to separate it from Sindh would undermine national unity and the federal structure.

“This House unequivocally condemns and rejects any conspiracy aimed at the division of Sindh or the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi,” the resolution said, declaring that Karachi is and shall forever remain an integral and inseparable part of Sindh.

The resolution reaffirmed that the unity, territorial integrity and historical identity of Sindh were sacred values ​​inherited from forefathers and would be defended through constitutional, democratic and political means.

He called on all political actors to refrain from divisive speech or actions that could threaten provincial harmony and national cohesion.

“The House is united – across party lines – to uphold the integrity, dignity and unbroken heritage of Sindh,” the resolution said.

MPs from the Treasury and the Opposition spoke during the debate.

Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah supported the motion, saying historical claims that Karachi had never been part of Sindh distorted the facts. He asked whether the division of Sindh should be discussed just because roads or sewer lines had not been constructed.

PPP’s Saadia Javed also supported the resolution, criticizing what she called divisive rhetoric.

She alleged that inflammatory remarks were made at the Governor’s House and questioned why the governor was steering Karachi towards ethnic divisions. She demanded that anyone advocating the division of the province be removed from office.

Shabbir Qureshi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supported the resolution but questioned the continued distinctions between urban and rural areas, while Aamir Siddiqui and Moeed Mehboob of the MQM opposed it, arguing that discussing the governance of Karachi should not be treated as a conspiracy.

PTI’s Bilal Jadoon endorsed the resolution, saying the division of Sindh was unacceptable, but calling for equal rights between cities.

Responding to criticism, the chief minister said the resolution did not violate the Constitution and was only aimed at opposing any attempt to divide Sindh. He recalled that a similar resolution was adopted unanimously in 2019.

Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also supported the motion and rejected calls to bring Karachi under federal control.

However, opposition leader Ali Khurshidi expressed concerns over what he described as a growing atmosphere of dictatorship.

Referring to the recently passed resolution condemning the plots, he questioned what plot was actually underway. “Karachi is the capital of Sindh. You first divided Karachi and then divided Malir to create Korangi. It was you who broke Sindh,” he said.

He criticized those who had been in power for 18 years, saying: “There are 50,000 children enrolled in the governor’s computer program, so the pain is real. »

Khurshidi added that discussions on the future of Karachi took place at the Governor’s House and even Sindhi-speaking officials admitted that Karachi had been destroyed.

Describing the official speech as window dressing, he said: “The PPP is supposed to be a national party, but today it is more like a nationalist party. »