PPP Moves to Reject New Provinces Proposal in Sindh Assembly
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: The Pakistan Peoples Party has said it will firmly oppose proposals for creating new provinces or administrative units in Sindh when the issue comes before the provincial assembly, setting up a politically charged debate with parties advocating administrative restructuring.
PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the Sindh Assembly would first debate an adjournment motion on the issue and then move toward a decision based on the majority view of the house. He said PPP lawmakers from across the province would reject proposals they believe could divide Sindh.
Khuhro argued that allowing a formal parliamentary debate would place the positions of all parties on record rather than leaving the issue to political rallies and press conferences.
He said the PPP had already supported the passage of five previous resolutions opposing the creation of new provinces in Sindh, but the issue continued to resurface.
Sindh Assembly Approved Debate
The provincial assembly had earlier approved an adjournment motion for a two-hour debate on proposals concerning new provinces and administrative units.
The motion was moved by Khuhro, with the treasury benches arguing that the assembly should formally discuss the issue amid renewed political demands and speculation about administrative restructuring across Pakistan.
The current move is therefore not yet a newly passed resolution.
The Assembly has agreed to debate the issue, while Khuhro has indicated that the PPP intends to support a subsequent resolution rejecting the creation of new provinces or administrative units in Sindh.
That distinction is important for publication accuracy: the latest report describes the PPP’s planned position, not a final vote already taken by the house.
MQM-P Pushes for New Administrative Units
The renewed controversy follows a campaign by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, which has called for a nationwide dialogue on the creation of new provinces and administrative units.
MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has argued that Pakistan’s present administrative structure no longer reflects the country’s population and governance needs. His party says it wants new units across Pakistan rather than a proposal aimed only at Sindh.
Senior MQM-P leader and Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has similarly argued that new administrative units could improve governance and the distribution of resources.
Kamal has insisted that the proposal is not directed against Sindhis or intended as an ethnic division of the province.
The PPP strongly rejects that interpretation.
Its leaders argue that any move affecting Sindh’s territorial integrity would be unacceptable and have accused MQM-P of reviving a politically divisive issue.
Those accusations are political claims and should not be presented as neutral descriptions of MQM-P’s stated policy.
Debate Has Intensified in Recent Weeks
The issue has returned to the centre of Sindh politics after several senior political figures raised the broader question of creating additional provinces or administrative units.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah rejected the proposal earlier in August, calling the idea outdated and saying the people of Sindh remained united in protecting the province’s interests.
Other PPP ministers, including Saeed Ghani, have also opposed any new province in Sindh and argued that decisions affecting provincial boundaries must follow the Constitution.
Meanwhile, MQM-P has said it plans to contact political parties across the country to build support for a national dialogue on administrative restructuring.
Constitution Sets a High Threshold
Any actual alteration of Sindh’s provincial boundaries would require much more than a simple Sindh Assembly resolution.
Under Article 239(4) of Pakistan’s Constitution, a constitutional amendment that alters the limits of a province cannot be presented to the president for assent unless it has been approved by the assembly of the affected province with the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.
That constitutional provision makes the Sindh Assembly central to any proposal that would formally alter the province’s boundaries.
A simple majority resolution opposing new provinces would therefore be politically significant, but it would not itself amend the Constitution or permanently prevent a future constitutional proposal.
Similarly, political demands for a referendum or administrative restructuring do not by themselves create a new province.
Earlier Resolution Against Karachi Province
The Sindh Assembly has already taken a formal position against territorial division this year.
Earlier in 2026, the house passed a resolution declaring Karachi an integral and inseparable part of Sindh and rejecting efforts to create a separate Karachi province.
The PPP-sponsored resolution was supported by PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami members, while MQM-P opposed it.
That earlier vote provides important context for the current debate but should not be confused with the fresh adjournment motion now before the Assembly.
PPP Wants Debate on Record
Khuhro has defended the decision to allow supporters of new provinces to speak during the Assembly debate.
Responding to criticism that such a debate could give greater visibility to proponents of administrative restructuring, he said supporters of the proposal would be able to state their position even if the PPP had introduced a resolution directly.
He said a parliamentary debate would instead allow the public to see clearly which lawmakers supported or opposed the proposals.
Khuhro maintained that the Assembly, rather than public rallies, was the appropriate constitutional forum for reaching a political decision on the issue.
What Happens Next?
The immediate next step is the scheduled debate in the Sindh Assembly.
PPP holds the dominant position in the provincial legislature, making passage of an anti-division resolution highly likely if the party formally introduces one and maintains party discipline.
However, until the vote actually occurs, publication-safe wording is that the PPP intends to reject the proposals and says the Assembly will move toward a resolution after debate.
The controversy is likely to continue beyond the provincial legislature because MQM-P is framing the issue as a nationwide governance debate, while the PPP is treating proposals affecting Sindh as a challenge to the province’s territorial unity.
The constitutional reality remains clear: creating a new province that changes Sindh’s boundaries would require a constitutional amendment and at least a two-thirds vote of the Sindh Assembly, in addition to the federal constitutional process.
