The Sindh minister says administrative reforms can be pursued without changing provincial boundaries or weakening Sindh’s constitutional status.
Web Desk: Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah has rejected any compromise on the territorial unity of Sindh, responding to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s renewed call for debate on creating new provinces and administrative units in Pakistan.
Shah said provinces were not merely administrative units but also carried their own history, identity, culture, geography and constitutional status.
His comments came after Naqvi reiterated that Pakistan’s administrative structure needs a “reset” and said decisions on new administrative units should ultimately reflect the wishes of the people.
Nasir Shah distinguishes reforms from new provinces
Shah said he agreed with the need for better governance, an effective administrative system and reforms aimed at improving public services.
However, he argued that administrative reforms and restructuring provinces are two different matters.
“If the objective is to bring administrative powers closer to the people,” he said, this could be achieved within the existing constitutional framework.
He pointed to the creation of new districts, divisions and tehsils, along with stronger local governments, as possible ways to decentralise authority without changing provincial boundaries.
‘Sindh’s unity cannot be compromised’
The Sindh minister said the people of Sindh had repeatedly expressed their position on the province’s territorial integrity.
He argued that the question of dividing Sindh was not simply an administrative matter but was connected with the province’s history, identity and collective will.
Shah said he was willing to discuss constructive proposals for reforms but added that Sindh’s unity could not be compromised.
He also urged those calling for respect for public opinion to take into account what he described as the consistently expressed views of the people of Sindh.
Sindh Assembly has already rejected division
The dispute follows a renewed political debate over the creation of new provinces and administrative units.
On September 3, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution, among members present, rejecting proposals to divide Sindh, change its territorial boundaries or create a new province from its territory. The resolution was moved by PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro.
The resolution also invoked the constitutional safeguards surrounding any change to a province’s boundaries.
Under Article 239(4) of Pakistan’s Constitution, a constitutional amendment altering the limits of a province cannot be presented for presidential assent unless it has first been passed by the concerned provincial assembly by at least a two-thirds majority of its total membership.
Debate over governance continues
Naqvi has argued that Pakistan’s existing administrative structure has struggled to keep pace with population growth and governance requirements.
He has said new administrative units should be considered through Parliament and ultimately reflect public opinion. He also stressed that his call for a “system reset” did not mean dismantling the state structure.
The debate has drawn strong reactions from the PPP and other political groups in Sindh.
PPP officials have maintained that any decision concerning new provinces must follow the Constitution and involve political consensus. The party’s parliamentary leadership has also said irresponsible statements on such a sensitive issue should not deepen divisions.
PPP maintains its position on Sindh
Shah’s latest remarks are consistent with the PPP-led Sindh government’s opposition to dividing the province.
Dawn also reported that Shah recently said Sindh would remain one and criticised attempts to portray the Sindh Assembly’s resolution against division as controversial.
For now, there is no confirmed federal plan or legislation to divide Sindh. The debate remains political, while any constitutional change would require the prescribed parliamentary and provincial process.
