The upper house of Parliament on Monday echoed with the PPP’s displeasure over recent statements regarding the creation of a separate Karachi province, asserting that it was an inseparable part of Sindh.
The development comes two days after the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution terming Karachi an “inseparable” part of Sindh and opposed any move that suggested otherwise. Opposing the resolution in the Sindh Assembly, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had also declared it unconstitutional.
On Monday, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Sherry Rehman, denounced recent statements by certain federal ministers, ostensibly a reference to MQM-P’s Mustafa Kamal and Khaliq Maqbool Siddique.
Rehman said that such reckless talk was not only unconstitutional but also a direct provocation to the unity of the federation.
“Let me be clear: the PPP is the custodian of Sindh’s unity and no one will be allowed to undermine it,” she said.
She said Sindh had always opened its arms to everyone, adding that the province’s resources had always been shared with the country since 1947.
“To hear suggestions about dividing Karachi or Sindh is deeply alarming. This is not just an attack on a province, it is an attack on Pakistan itself,” she remarked.
Rehman reminded the House that altering a province’s boundaries was a constitutional matter that required a two-thirds majority.
“Those floating these ideas should first read the Constitution. Constitutional divisions require democratic majorities, not press conferences,” she remarked.
Speaking about coalition partners, she said, “Our friends in MQM-P have always been part of the federal government. They have governed with every administration. May God grant them even more respect, but let no one confuse local political debates with a licence to redraw provincial maps.”
She also stated that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had said that no one would be allowed to divide Pakistanis based on language or identity.
“This party has shed blood, borne lashes, and endured imprisonment to uphold that principle,” she said. She further warned that Sindh had historically faced backdoor conspiracies.
“Let me say it plainly: the majority in Sindh belongs to the PPP. If that bothers someone, what can we do? If they want a majority, then earn it the democratic way – face the people, earn their votes, and withstand the political struggle like PPP workers have always done,” she said.
“From Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to President Asif Ali Zardari, our leadership has spent years behind bars for democracy. We have always put Pakistan before politics,” she said.
“Anyone dreaming of dividing Sindh should abandon this dangerous fantasy. We know how to resist, we know how to oppose, and we will not tolerate any assault on Pakistan’s federal unity. This behaviour is unacceptable and will never be allowed to succeed,” she maintained.
PPP Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi said that his party had always served the people without going into politics, whether or not people of any area voted for it.
He pointed out that both MQM-P and Jamaat-i-Islami each had three leaders who served as Karachi mayor.
“What had these six mayors given to Karachi? Nothing,” he said. He then said that the PPP’s mayorship of Karachi had delivered better results than MQM-P’s.
He pointed out that an education conference was held at the Governor’s House, which was also attended by Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. However, nothing about education was discussed, he lamented.
Meanwhile, MQM-P Senator Khalida Ateeb opposed the resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly, terming it against the Constitution.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, she said the proposal to divide Sindh into rural and urban areas was initiated by the PPP-led Sindh government. She also questioned who introduced the quota system.
She made it clear that the MQM-P never advocated for dividing Sindh but said there were calls for administrative units in all provinces across the country.