'Karachi is integral part of Sindh,' says govt spox

Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed has strongly criticised Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman over his recent statement, accusing him of pursuing politics that could undermine peace in Karachi and rejecting any move to divide Sindh.

In a statement, Javed alleged that the "dictators and terrorists" responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto were the same forces that Naeem had remained close to.

She said Naeem's statement had once again demonstrated, in her view, that the JI had historically "grown under the patronage of dictators".

Sadia said the PPP had always made sacrifices for justice, citing its historic references against judicial killings as evidence. She urged Naeem to stop what she described as "politics over dead bodies" for political mileage and cheap publicity.

On the issue of new provinces, Sadia said their creation was constitutionally possible but required approval from the relevant provincial assembly.

She made it clear that any attempt to divide Sindh would not be accepted, saying Karachi was an "integral part of Sindh" and would remain so. Instead of raising the issue of new provinces, Sadia said, political forces should focus on strengthening and empowering local governments.