KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring Karachi an “inseparable part” of Sindh, firmly rejecting any proposal or narrative suggesting the metropolis be separated from the province or turned into a federal territory.
The resolution, tabled by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, was adopted with a majority vote. It 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,” and asserted that “Karachi is, and shall forever remain, an integral and inseparable part of Sindh.”
Resolution Targets Divisive Rhetoric
The move comes amid repeated calls by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for federal intervention in Karachi’s governance. The resolution urged all political stakeholders to avoid divisive rhetoric or actions that could threaten provincial harmony and national cohesion.
It reaffirmed that Sindh’s unity, territorial integrity and historic identity are “sacred trusts” to be protected through constitutional and democratic means, adding that the House stood united—beyond party lines—in defence of the province’s dignity and legacy.
Voting Split Along Party Lines
Jamaat-i-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members Shabbir Qureshi and Sajjad Soomro supported the resolution, while MQM-P lawmakers voted against it. MQM-P members argued during the debate that the resolution contradicted the Constitution—an assertion the chief minister rejected outright.
CM Murad Rejects Constitutional Objections
Responding to the opposition, CM Murad challenged critics to identify any clause in the resolution that violated the Constitution. He also recalled that a similar unanimous resolution opposing Sindh’s division was passed in 2019, when MQM-P supported it.
Addressing concerns about references to the governor, the chief minister clarified that the resolution did not mention the governor by name, adding that any such references made during debate could be expunged from the proceedings.
Condemning what he described as “division rhetoric,” CM Murad told the House that no one could divide Karachi or detach it from Sindh. He said that any attempt to create a new province would require a two-thirds majority of the Sindh Assembly, as laid out in the Constitution.
Historical and Constitutional Context
The resolution cited Article 239 of the 1973 Constitution, which requires the consent of a two-thirds majority of the concerned provincial assembly for any alteration of provincial boundaries. It traced Sindh’s historic role as the first province to pass a resolution in favour of Pakistan and highlighted Karachi’s evolution—from its historic name Kolachi to its role as Pakistan’s economic engine—as inseparable from Sindh’s land, labour and people.
It also recalled Sindh’s resistance to the One Unit scheme of 1955 and the restoration of the province in 1970 as evidence of the people’s resolve to safeguard provincial unity.
Call for Unity
Invoking the slogan “Pakistan Khappay,” associated with Asif Ali Zardari, CM Murad underscored the stance of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on national unity and federalism. “Even the thought, dream or idea of breaking Sindh will never succeed,” he declared.
The resolution concluded by warning that any attempt to fragment Sindh or detach Karachi would undermine national cohesion, democratic norms and the federal compact—sentiments it said were deeply held by the people of the province.
