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New provinces: MQM wins over PPP to block resolution in assembly
Legislators of ruling party and two coalition partners cry foul.
Out of these 50-plus signatories, 38 belong to the Pakistan Peoples Party, five each to the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and PML-Q, three to the National Peoples Party and one to the Awami National Party. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/ EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Several MPAs belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and its two other coalition partners felt betrayed when Speaker Nisar Khuhro backtracked on his Friday promise to allow a resolution against the creation of new provinces.
But on Monday the Muttahida Qaumi Movement once again proved its bargaining prowess by compelling the Sindh chief minister and the speaker to ensure that the proposed resolution is not presented in the house.
Around 50 MPAs are signatories to an adjournment motion for the presentation of a draft resolution that calls on the federal government to withdraw support for the MQM bill, seeking an amendment to the constitution. The amendment deprives the present federating units of their mandatory consent for the creation of new provinces. Out of these 50-plus signatories, 38 belong to the Pakistan Peoples Party, five each to the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and PML-Q, three to the National Peoples Party and one to the Awami National Party.
Four ministers, Agha Taimur Pathan and Sassui Palijo of the PPP, Shaharyar Mahar of the PML-Q and Amir Nawab Khan of the ANP are among those who put their names to the resolution.
Amid a loud and noisy exchange and heated arguments, pandemonium struck Monday’s proceedings. Members of different parties shouted slogans in favour of their demands. While the legislators of the PPP and MQM were thumping and vowing that, “no one can divide Sindh,” the NPP and PML-Q kept on pleading for permission to table the resolution.
The session was delayed by three and a half hours as the PPP and MQM leaders had a closed-door meeting. After two-hour long negotiations, the MQM succeeded in taming the PPP while the other coalition partners were left to agitate the issue in the house.
Soon after the question-answer session was over, Masoor Jatoi along with his younger brother Arif Mustafa Jatoi started reminding the speaker about his promise to take up the resolution. “Sir, you had promised,” Jatoi pleaded. “Please give me a chance to move the resolution.” His repeated requests were in vain.
The speaker, freshly emerged from an understanding with the MQM, resorted to dilly-dallying by insisting on the completion of the business on the agenda. “We have to take up the adjournment motion before the resolution,” he said while allowing PPP’s Imran Zafar Leghari to move his adjournment motion on some other subject.
But Leghari, who is also one of the signatories to the draft resolution, argued that his adjournment motion was not that important. “We should give preference to the resolution,” he said.
This annoyed Khuhro who sounded bitter when he told Leghari, “I have [allowed] you to move the adjournment motion.” He said he would not allow any other member to move the motion.
Sindh law minister, Ayaz Soomro, took this opportunity to criticise those who insisted on moving the resolution. “We are sons of the soil and will not let anyone break up Sindh,” he thundered. “Whoever has any such designs will be beheaded.” In an emotionally charged speech, he also criticised the Sindhi nationalist leaders who had come to witness the proceedings for the first time since the PPP came to power in 2008.
As the government refused to take up the resolution, MPAs belonging to the NPP and PML-Q boycotted the session saying, “You are a so-called democratic party. Let us join hands if you are sincere with Sindh.” They then left the house.
MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed was prompted to say that a majority of people in Sindh had come from ‘outside’ the province. “We all have to live in one province, without any discrimination of caste and creed,” he said. “We are not traitors, but among those who love this province. How can we indulge in any conspiracy against our own people?”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2012.
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Reader Comments (28)
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Fate of this Speaker khuhro will be the same as uncle. His loyalty is NOT with Sindh but with power. Sindh is not administrative unit of Pakistan only, but it is historic land with 5000 years of History. Today Federation of Pakistan is by product of these states/provinces, who united for this country under the agreement of Lahore Resolution. MQM is playing hidden game to work against the interests of Sindh. If they are sincere to Sindh, why they are bringing bill to take away the fundamental right of provinces over their land??People of Sindh will not let any one play with territorial integrity of Sindh. With 20 the amendement, both MQM and PPP are exposed.
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@Sindhvoice:
Sindh will be split up soon. Mark my words. The only province likely to stay intact is Blauchistan (if it remains part of the federation that is).
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Pakistan will cease to exist if this nationalism continues. I think we should make so many provinces that nobody even remember their names and call themselves Pakistanis only.
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what i failed to understand, MQM and PPP are so interested in making provinces in Punjab and khyber pakhtokhwa, but they bash anyone who even think or talk about making a province in sindh.
Why is that? if punjab and other provinces can be divided for so called ‘a better resource management’, then why not sindh?
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All that goes around, comes around, when they were talking about the division of Punjab, everybody spoke in its favour, but this resolution is a double edged sword, so who ever supports this, must get ready to face the music, because it will not remain limited to the division of Punjab, it will divide all the provinces into much smaller administrative and ethnic units (rather ethnic units). Why ppp has double standards when they say, they will liberate Seraiki people from Lahore throne, but in the same frequency, they say, we will not tolerate the division of Sindh. I think it is high time for the people of Sindh to recognise the difference.
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I am unable to understand the “sentiment” behind keeping ‘Sindh Dharti’ united……Is Sindh special? why can’t it be administratively divided into more provinces if other provinces can…..??….what is the point of this ‘fanatic obsession’ ?? ….Move on guys!!
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Theres no major city in Sindh except Karachi, on which whole province is dependent upon so no point of dividing it. Secondly, Punjab has overflowing population, Multan is a major city which can bear everything itself so whats wrong in making a new province out from there.
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@Sindhvoice:
I hope you have the same comments for Punjab which is also a land with thousands of years of history. The provinces should remain the same as specified in the Lahore Resolution and the Constitution.
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Divide and destroy, what else. In the end nobody will say that he is Pakistani, they will call themselves Balochi, Sindhi, Panjabi …. They will fight each other. The country will be fragmented and people will suffer.
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@hammad, why not strive for having more major cities in Sindh instead
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If the formula is correct then division of India is also incorrect. You have to realize ground reality and changing scenarios. We have to divide Pakistan into a large number of provinces with population not exceeding 50lakh in each new province. This will ensure proper governence and better Pakistan. UAE model is absolutely applicable so we can think of United States of Pakistan.
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So its ok to carve out new provinces from Punjab but not Sind or KP?
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Hypocrite politics at its peak…
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There is very simple criteria for the creation of more provinces. Ideally the demand should come from those people who have their national background. I mean the aspiring candidates for the new provinces must have their own land, old culture and language etc, which are basic contributing factor for being a nation and making a new province. Before jumping into this move It must be considered whether the demand of these people or group for new province meet criteria or not.
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@Moazzam Salim:
As per constitution, it is prerogative of Provincial Assembly, Punjab Assembly should decide about Siraiki province and KP on Hazara. If Punjab and KP assemblies are ready to make new provinces, Sindh has no issue.
But for us, Sindh is our motherland, we will strongly resist any such move to divide our land as piece of cake. Secondly Sindh is neither occupied territory nor a colonized province. Therefore, no decision should be taken without consent of people of Sindh. We will never accept any forced decision.
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@Sindhvoice:
I am from Sindh and I say bring out the carving knife.
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The current coalitions partners, PPP and MQM,are bidding for creation of Seraiki province in Punjab so that NS’s political power may be reduced. This all exercise in the Sindh assembly is for this specific purpose.
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@Aamir:
India and UAE are not Pakistan. India’s central government is more powerful than any other government while Pakistan is a federation. Present provinces made the federation under some promises (autonomy being the most important) if this promise is violated and provinces are snatched their right to protect their identity(both cultural and geographical) then provinces are free to break from Pakistani federation. Your United States of Pakistan is more close to what had been promised in 1940 resolution but not in the way you suggest. Existing provinces should be given the status of states enshrined under the promise of autonomy not by creating more provinces and violating autonomy of provinces.
@ positive Pakistani; Why don’t you leave using your mother tongue and start using some other and ‘move on’? Will you do that? Will you and many others advocating the division of Sindh leave their identity and ‘move on’? I highly doubt that so why Sindh should violate it’s identity? Sindh may be not special to you but it is sacred to us Sindhis. You talk of administrative division yet so conveniently forget that each province in Pakistan is administratively divided in “districts”. Why further division only the governance needs to be improvedRecommend
@Hameedullah:
Do you know the history of Sindh and where did Sindhis actually migrated from?
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If people of sindh dont want their province to be divided then why should somebody force them until they realise themselves the need for division, secondly i think balochistan can be easily divided into southern pashtunishtan and balochistan almost with consensus, there won’t be any hue and cry but that won’t happen where it can be done without much difficulty.
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@Sindhvoice
Do you realise that as a matter of fact Seraiki belt extends deep into SIndh, so when you talk about Seraiki province you’re essesntially talking about dividing Sindh.
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@Azmat:
So you might very well know the origin of urdu speaking community demanding separate province in Sindh and at which time they migrated here. Don’t you Azmat? You would also know the time line of migration of Sindhis(though all of them have not migrated but again you might not have heard about the Samaat word have you?) and the migration of urdu speaking people since you pose to be the learned one.Recommend
@Aamer Khawaja:
You don’t realize that it is the Siraikis living in Punjab that are demanding new province not Siraikis living in Sindh. In fact they are pretty much comfortable with Sindhi identity.Recommend
@Azmat:
LOL, you give impression that as if whole Sindhi nation is composed of immigrating people. Before giving one liner based on ill-information, Pls read some history books, correct your basic facts and knowledge.Thanks
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In other provinces People want creation of new provinces.In sindh no body wants that.
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If you try to divide Punjab, then Sindh will be divided. Long Live Punjab.
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@Sindhvoice:
Please go read some real history books. All ancestors of “Sindhi” were IMMIGRANTS.Recommend
The assembly will witness another fiasco on Thursday when the session starts. The members of all the parties have chosen their best cards. But there seems to be drop seen as the issue is likely to touch its climax.
Jeay Sindh
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