Nationalists see red over new administrative units

Nationalist parties announce protest drive from Sept 20, invoke One Unit controversy

HYDERABAD:

Sindh's nationalist parties have rejected a proposal to create multiple administrative units in the province, calling it a fresh attempt to undermine Sindh's territorial integrity and announcing a protest movement against the idea from September 20.

The declaration was made at a meeting of the Sindh Rehbar Committee, an alliance of several nationalist parties, in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The participants also drew parallels between the proposal and the controversial Sindh Local Government Act, 2012, which introduced separate local-government models for Karachi and the rest of the province and triggered strong opposition at the time.

"We reject any proposition which is meant to break up the territorial integrity of Sindh province under any guise," said Jeay Sindh Mahaz chairman Riaz Ali Chandio.

Chandio criticised PPP Sindh President and MPA Nisar Ahmed Khuhro for calling for a debate on the issue in the Sindh Assembly, saying the move reminded him of Khuhro's uncle, Ayub Khuhro, who had supported Ayub Khan's One Unit scheme. "The present PPP seems to be treading on Ayub Khuhro's heels," he said.

Chandio warned politicians from other parties in Sindh against supporting the proposal, saying those who backed it would face the same political condemnation as Ayub Khuhro. Former prime minister Mian Muhammad Soomro and Nawab Taigho Khan Teghani, a feudal and tribal chief from Kambar-Shahdadkot, have also expressed support for the creation of administrative units.

Chandio, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Dr Niaz Kalani and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party chairman Nawaz Khan Zaunr said distrust between Sindh and the federal government had already deepened over what they described as an unfair distribution of Indus River water. They alleged that the proposal to divide Sindh would further aggravate tensions, claiming that "Punjab wants to occupy Sindh's capital Karachi and its coast."