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 city’s constitutional status.

The resolution, presented by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, came as last month Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal called for Karachi to be declared Pakistan’s economic capital and placed 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 recognised as the country’s economic capital within the existing constitutional framework.

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

Presenting the resolution, the chief minister said discussions had taken place in certain quarters about separating Karachi from Sindh, which he strongly condemned. He said Pakistan was created by Sindh and expressed hope that members across party lines 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 trade fire over Karachi governance

The text described Sindh as not merely an administrative unit but one of the world’s oldest living civilisations — the land of Mohenjo Daro and the cradle of the Indus Valley civilisation — with a distinct cultural and historical identity that predated modern political boundaries.

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

Referring to Sindh’s separation 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 foundational role in the creation of the country and could not permit division of its historic land.

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

The resolution described Karachi as Pakistan’s economic lifeline and warned 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 stated, declaring that Karachi is, and shall forever remain, an integral and inseparable part of Sindh.

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

It called upon all political stakeholders to refrain from divisive rhetoric or actions that could threaten provincial harmony and national cohesion.

“The House stands united — beyond party lines — in defence of Sindh’s integrity, dignity and unbroken legacy,” the resolution stated.

Members from both the treasury and opposition benches 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 facts. He asked whether the division of Sindh should be discussed merely because roads or sewer lines had not been built.

PPP’s Saadia Javed also backed the resolution, criticising what she termed divisive rhetoric.

She alleged that inflammatory remarks had been 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 should be removed from office.

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

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

Responding to criticism, the chief minister said the resolution did not violate the Constitution and was aimed solely at opposing any move to divide Sindh. He recalled that a similar resolution had been passed unanimously in 2019.

Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also backed the motion and rejected calls to place Karachi under federal control.

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

Referring to the recently passed resolution condemning conspiracies, he questioned what conspiracy was actually underway. “Karachi is the capital of Sindh. You first broke Karachi apart, then divided Malir to create Korangi. You are the ones breaking Sindh,” he said.

He criticised those who had held power for 18 years, saying, “There are 50,000 children enrolled in the governor’s IT programme, so the pain is real.”

Khurshidi added that discussions about Karachi’s future had taken place at the Governor’s House and that even Sindhi-speaking officials acknowledged that Karachi had been destroyed.

Calling the official narrative a façade, he said, “PPP is supposed to be a national party, but today it seems more like a nationalist party.”