LONDON: The political battle over Sindh’s future is intensifying as the PPP doubles down on its opposition to dividing the province, with Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari holding a five-hour meeting in London on the issue.
The meeting, held at Zardari’s residence and attended by Bilawal’s sister, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, came days after the Sindh Assembly unanimously rejected proposals to divide the province or alter its territorial boundaries.
According to sources, Bilawal and Zardari discussed Pakistan’s political and overall situation, along with the PPP’s position on the division of Sindh. Remarks made by PPP leader Faryal Talpur were also discussed during the meeting.
The meeting concluded with the party deciding to maintain its opposition to any division of Sindh, the sources said.
The development comes amid renewed political debate over the creation of new provinces and administrative units in Pakistan.
On Sept. 3, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting any proposal to divide the province, alter its territorial boundaries or create new administrative units in Sindh.
PPP leader Nisar Khuhro presented the resolution, which was approved by all members present. Speaker Syed Owais Qadir Shah announced its unanimous passage.
During the session, PPP lawmakers carried banners reading, “Sindh is the motherland,” as they opposed any move to divide the province.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also rejected the proposal, warning against any attempt to alter the province’s territorial status.
“You cannot even talk about breaking Sindh into pieces or dividing Sindh,” Shah told the assembly.
Addressing the opposition benches, Shah accused political opponents of double standards over the issue and criticized those who, he said, were raising the question of Sindh’s division while remaining absent from the assembly.
The resolution stated that the Sindh Assembly would not consent to any territorial alteration involving the province.
Bilawal has previously said the PPP’s position on the creation of new provinces is clear and that any such decision should be made through political consensus. He has also maintained that issues concerning Sindh should be discussed in the provincial assembly.
The broader debate gained momentum in late July when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for new administrative units, saying Pakistan’s governance system had “collapsed.” He said the new units could be called provinces or given another designation and advocated greater devolution of powers.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal later proposed creating 12 to 15 provinces and called for a national debate and political consensus on administrative reforms.
The proposals drew strong resistance in Sindh, particularly from the PPP, which has opposed any move to divide the province.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif subsequently accused the PPP of a “double standard,” arguing that the party supported a Saraiki province in Punjab while raising the issue of Sindhudesh during discussions about wider administrative restructuring.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah later described the debate as premature, while the PPP maintained that provincial questions should be discussed through the assemblies.
After the meeting, Bilawal said he would remain in London for the next few days and meet journalists in the coming days. He later left for his residence with Bakhtawar.
