Opponents have launched propaganda campaign to divide Sindh: Zardari

PPP will never accept division of Sindh says President Zardari.


Express August 11, 2011
Opponents have launched propaganda campaign to divide Sindh: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will never accept the division of Sindh at a meeting of federal ministers from Sindh on Thursday.

While talking to federal ministers belonging to Sindh at the President House, Zardari said that opponents of the PPP have launched a propaganda campaign to divide Sindh and believes the campaign has been launched to defame the government.

President Zardari said there will be a uniform LG system across Sindh, including Karachi and Hyderabad, and that all parties will be consulted regarding this matter.

The federal ministers also briefed the President about people’s reservations on the LG system.

CM Sindh denies allegations about dividing Sindh

On the other hand Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Thursday said that the local government (LG) ordinance was imposed after consultation with the coalition.

The CM made these statements during a press conference after meeting the Sindh Council of the People’s Party.

He said that party members were taken into confidence regarding the LG system adding that the administration system was changed in line with the reservations expressed by the coalition partners.

Speaking on allegations regarding conspiracies to divide Sindh, he denied these allegations saying the LG system can be reviewed for amendments to better the existing system.

Earlier, the President on Wednesday held separate meetings with PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), taking them into confidence over the government’s decision to revert back to the local bodies’ system introduced in 2001 in Sindh.

President Zardari is facing stiff resistance from within his own party over the new deal with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, especially from Sindh leaders.

“We have to face our electorates, not Babar Awan. We have strong reservations about the way this deal was clinched,” a federal minister from Sindh had told The Express Tribune the other day during an interaction.

Under such circumstances President Zardari is seeking support from other parties to give his own party members the message to quell this internal rift, sources said.

(Read: Sindh local govt system: President Zardari takes allies into confidence)

COMMENTS (28)

pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply

Who says Sindh has one ethinic group and one mind set. In tharparker, umerkot Marwari language is spoken, In Jacobabad huge population speak Baluchi, In Kashmore, Ghotki, nowshehroferoz Saraiki is spoken, In southern regions of Thatta and Badin Katchi language is spoken. Other then Karachi and Hyderabad Urdu is spoken by majority in Sukkur City, Nawabshah city, Mirpurkhas City, TanduAdam City, TanduAllahyar city.

Zubair Shah | 13 years ago | Reply

Rather than two Punjab may be divided into the following four provinces (with provisional names) with a provision for the border districts to join the adjacent province through a referendum: one, Abaseen province comprised of districts between the rivers of Sindh and Jhelum. Hazara may also like to join this province on account of various social, commercial, industrial and communication links and the presence of state of the art educational and medical facilities in the District of Rawalpindi. Second, Punjab provinces comprised of the districts situated in the east of the river Jhelum and North of Khanewal. Third, Bahawalpur province comprised of territory of the original Bahawalpur state. Fourth, Seraiki province comprised of the remaining districts of Punjab. In the end, I humbly appeal to the federal government in the national interest to kindly pursue the division of Punjab for the better governance. As Cheap Minister never paid attention to the betterment of these areas that are badly hit by poverty, unemployment and low life standard, infact he is so much busy to save his Takht-e-Lahore that he does not have time to pay for the betterment of these areas fall in the administrative jurisdiction of Punjab Government. Division of Punjab into four provinces is the only solution of plight of browbeaten people of Punjab. Ratheran than deeming the demand of more provinces in Punjab, PML-N is hushing up the voice of Saraeki province even. PML-N has started politicizing the issue by demanding division of other provinces as a counter attack. However in Sindh there is one language and one ethical mind set but look at Punjab, Two different languages, Punjabi and Siraiki and different mindset almost in all the major districts. Thus rather than playing politics PML-N should positively respond to the voices of People.

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