Divisional politics: Local govt minister denies further ‘break-up’ of Thatta

Allegedly the detachment of Jung Shahi, Jhampir and Tando Hafiz Shah was recommended by DC .

HYDERABAD: The people of Thatta, who recently saw the split of the district in two halves, breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday when the local government minister, Owais Muzaffar, announced that the district will not be divided into any more pieces.

The announcement came amid rumours of further contraction of what is left of Sindh’s largest district. Muzaffar announced that no further division of Thatta would be allowed. “No one can break Thatta until I am alive,” the minister claimed, while addressing the media in Thatta on Wednesday.

The minister was responding to the concerns raised a few days ago about the separation of three important union councils of Thatta and their possible merger with the adjacent Jamshoro district. According to unconfirmed reports, the provincial government was considering a proposal to detach Jungshahi, Jhimpir and Tando Hafiz Shah union councils from Thatta. It was alleged that the detachment was being considered on the recommendation of Jamshoro’s deputy commissioner, Sajid Jamal Abro.

The rich district

“The areas of these three union councils extend into the Khirthar mountain range across the Super Highway,” Lakhmir Palari, the leader of Kohistan Bachayo Committee said. “Development works, such as Darawat Dam, windmill projects, stone crushing plants and marble excavation are also taking place here,” he said. “The entire district makes up for 600,000 acres of land rich in natural wealth.”

Opponent voices

The representatives of Kohistan Bachayo [Save Kohistan] Committee, literaries, nationalist leaders and residents of Jhampir, Aungar and Tando Hafiz Shah union councils have strongly opposed the proposed division.

“The PPP government is breaking apart the historical cities in Sindh without the people’s consent,” said Sindh Taraqi Pasand party chairperson Dr Qadir Magsi. He warned of strong political resistance if the three UCs are separated from Thatta.



“The PPP government is cutting Thatta as if it’s not a historical city but a cake,” said Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz MNA Ayaz Shah Sherazi, who was elected from Sajawal district, which has recently been carved out from Thatta.

Sherazi is critical of both Thatta’s split in two districts and the proposed separation of three UCs from the shrunken Thatta.

The local government minister said the speculations are baseless and the boundaries of the existing Thatta district will not be tampered within. He promised that the ongoing delimitation in the province will be completed in the next few days and the local government elections will be held within the schedule given by the Supreme Court. He further said that the deputy commissioner of Thatta and SSP Thatta will have the additional charge of DC and SSP Sajawal for the next three months.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2013.