{"id":41234,"date":"2026-02-21T18:04:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T18:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=41234"},"modified":"2026-02-21T18:04:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T18:04:26","slug":"sindh-assembly-passes-resolution-rejecting-calls-to-separate-karachi-from-province","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=41234","title":{"rendered":"Sindh Assembly passes resolution rejecting calls to separate Karachi from province"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring that Karachi was\u00a0and would\u00a0remain an integral and inseparable part of the province\u00a0amid renewed debate over the city\u2019s constitutional status.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s economic capital and placed under federal control, arguing that the metropolis had paid an \u201cunbearable price\u201d for political compromises made elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Kamal had demanded that Karachi be declared a federal territory under Articles 148 and 149 of the Constitution and formally recognised as the country\u2019s economic capital within the existing constitutional framework.<\/p>\n

During the session of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, spoke in favor of the resolution, asserting that:<\/p>\n

Sindh is an ancient, historically unified civilization with a distinct identity that predates modern borders, and\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/qv9gVQ3gip
\n\u2014 Provincial Assembly of Sindh (@pasgovofficial) February 21, 2026<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

He clarified that the resolution did not name any individual or political party.<\/p>\n

Read: From tragedy to blame, MQM and PPP trade fire over Karachi governance<\/p>\n

The text described Sindh as not merely an administrative unit but one of the world\u2019s oldest living civilisations \u2014 the land of Mohenjo Daro and the cradle of the Indus Valley civilisation \u2014 with a distinct cultural and historical identity that predated\u00a0modern political boundaries.<\/p>\n

It noted that Karachi, historically known as Kolachi, emerged from Sindh\u2019s soil and remained its port, commercial hub and gateway to the world even after becoming the country’s first capital in 1947.<\/p>\n

Referring to Sindh\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

It further cited resistance to the One Unit scheme in 1955 and restoration of Sindh\u2019s separate status in 1970 as examples of public resolve, adding that under Article 239 of the 1973 Constitution, provincial boundaries could not\u00a0be altered without a two-thirds majority.<\/p>\n

\u0648\u0632\u06cc\u0631\u0627\u0639\u0644\u06cc\u0670 \u0633\u0646\u062f\u06be \u0633\u06cc\u062f \u0645\u0631\u0627\u062f \u0639\u0644\u06cc \u0634\u0627\u06c1 \u06a9\u06cc \u062c\u0627\u0646\u0628 \u0633\u06d2 \u0633\u0646\u062f\u06be \u0627\u0633\u0645\u0628\u0644\u06cc \u0645\u06cc\u06ba \u0642\u0631\u0627\u0631\u062f\u0627\u062f \u067e\u06cc\u0634\u06d4<\/p>\n

\u0633\u0646\u062f\u06be \u0645\u062d\u0636 \u0627\u0646\u062a\u0638\u0627\u0645\u06cc \u0627\u06a9\u0627\u0626\u06cc \u0646\u06c1\u06cc\u06ba \u0628\u0644\u06a9\u06c1 \u062f\u0646\u06cc\u0627 \u06a9\u06cc \u0642\u062f\u06cc\u0645 \u062a\u0631\u06cc\u0646 \u0632\u0646\u062f\u06c1 \u062a\u06c1\u0630\u06cc\u0628\u0648\u06ba \u0645\u06cc\u06ba \u0633\u06d2 \u0627\u06cc\u06a9 \u06c1\u06d2\u06d4 \u0645\u0648\u0626\u0646 \u062c\u0648 \u062f\u0691\u0648 \u06a9\u06cc \u0633\u0631\u0632\u0645\u06cc\u0646\u060c \u0648\u0627\u062f\u06cc\u0654 \u0633\u0646\u062f\u06be \u062a\u06c1\u0630\u06cc\u0628 \u06a9\u0627 \u06af\u06c1\u0648\u0627\u0631\u06c1 \u06c1\u06d2\u06d4 \u0633\u0646\u062f\u06be \u0634\u0627\u06c1 \u0639\u0628\u062f\u0627\u0644\u0644\u0637\u06cc\u0641 \u0628\u06be\u0679\u0627\u0626\u06cc\u060c \u0633\u0686\u0644 \u0633\u0631\u0645\u0633\u062a\u060c \u0639\u0628\u062f\u0627\u0644\u0644\u06c1 \u0634\u0627\u06c1 \u063a\u0627\u0632\u06cc \u0627\u0648\u0631 \u0644\u0639\u0644 \u0634\u06c1\u0628\u0627\u0632 \u0642\u0644\u0646\u062f\u0631\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/7wJlpHao3Y
\n\u2014 Provincial Assembly of Sindh (@pasgovofficial) February 21, 2026<\/p>\n

The resolution described Karachi as Pakistan\u2019s economic lifeline and warned that any move to separate it from Sindh would undermine national unity and the federal structure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis House unequivocally condemns and rejects any conspiracy aimed at the division of Sindh or the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi,\u201d the resolution stated, declaring that Karachi is, and shall forever remain, an integral and inseparable part of Sindh.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It called upon all political stakeholders to refrain from divisive rhetoric or actions that could threaten provincial harmony and national cohesion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe House stands united \u2014 beyond party lines \u2014 in defence of Sindh\u2019s integrity, dignity and unbroken legacy,\u201d the resolution stated.<\/p>\n

Members from both the treasury and opposition benches spoke during the debate.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

PPP\u2019s Saadia Javed also backed the resolution, criticising what she termed divisive rhetoric.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf\u2019s (PTI)\u00a0Shabbir Qureshi supported the resolution but questioned persistent urban-rural distinctions, while MQM\u2019s Aamir Siddiqui and Moeed Mehboob opposed it, arguing that discussing Karachi\u2019s governance should not be treated as a conspiracy.<\/p>\n

PTI\u2019s Bilal Jadoon endorsed the resolution, saying division of Sindh was unacceptable but called for equal rights across cities.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also backed the motion and rejected calls to place Karachi under federal control.<\/p>\n

However, opposition leader\u00a0Ali Khurshidi expressed concerns over what he described as a growing atmosphere of dictation.<\/p>\n

Referring to the recently passed resolution condemning conspiracies, he questioned what conspiracy was actually underway. \u201cKarachi is the capital of Sindh. You first broke Karachi apart, then divided Malir to create Korangi. You are the ones breaking Sindh,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He criticised those who had\u00a0held power for 18 years, saying, \u201cThere are 50,000 children enrolled in the governor\u2019s IT programme, so the pain is real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khurshidi added that discussions about Karachi\u2019s future had taken place at the Governor’s House and that even Sindhi-speaking officials acknowledged that Karachi had been destroyed.<\/p>\n

Calling the official narrative a fa\u00e7ade, he said, \u201cPPP is supposed to be a national party, but today it seems more like a nationalist party.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring that Karachi was\u00a0and would\u00a0remain an integral and inseparable part of the province\u00a0amid renewed debate over the city\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41234\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}