HYDERABAD: Speakers at a dialogue organised at the University of Art and Culture, Jamshoro, called for implementing the Constitution, its 18th Amendment instead of creating new provinces. They said the Sindh Assembly resolution on the issue should also be implemented.
The dialogue was chaired by UAC Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Abdul Ghaffar Daudpoto.
He recalled that the 1935 and 1947 parliamentary elections, as well as the 1973 Constitution, had termed Pakistan a ‘multinational’ and ‘multilingual’ state. He said that all four provinces have a diversified population with different languages. These communities have become a collective identity of this centuries-old region. He argued that by creating new provinces or administrative units now to give them new identities would be a negation of the centuries-old civilisation.
Prof Ejaz Qureshi noted that good governance eluded the country which actually caused problems. He stressed that industries should be established right from Karachi to Ubauro to create employment opportunities for locals. Agriculture and education sectors stood destroyed in Sindh, he noted, and said that rulers should improve governance, instead of planning to create more provinces.
Professors, academicians speak out at dialogue held in University of Art and Culture, Jamshoro
Prof Mushtaq Mirani said that Karachi witnessed investment much before Pakistan’s inception and its earnings used to be taken away by the federation. He said Guddu and Kotri barrages were built from Sindh’s own funding. Under a plan, outsiders had been settled in Sindh. He observed that the country had witnessed ‘proxy politics’ until 70s and rulers were ‘misused’ by external forces.
The 18th amendment, he said, should be implemented to do away with Peca (the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act).
Prof Dr Nazir Mahmood from the Greenwich University, Karachi, said that universities must hold such debates. He said that all those living in Sindh, irrespective of the language they speak, should consider themselves as Sindhis. They would have to become part of the struggle for protecting integrity of Sindh. He feared that the creation of new provinces might undermine the Constitution.
Prof Imdad Chandio called for respecting fundamental points of the 1973 Constitution that deal with the country’s federal structure, provincial autonomy, fundamental rights and parity. The Constitution has given clear guidelines about federation-provinces working relationship regarding legislation, powers, administrative matters, etc, he said, adding that any decision on new administrative or political arrangement should be taken in line with people’s consent through democratic institutions.
Prof Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh said that a society needed new ideas. He said industrialisation across the province’s landscape had become inevitable. People of Sindh would not compromise over their language, identity and land. Academics should form their own think tank. Language and culture are fronts of nations. Iran has derived its strength from its language and culture to face the US. He warned that attempts to tinker with Sindh’s integrity would lead to disastrous consequences, he said.
Prof Ameer Ali Chandio said that Sindh had joined Pakistan on the basis of the 1940 Resolution but it proved otherwise and Bangladesh was also created. “Nations will have to be given their rights, if Pakistan is to be run,” he remarked.
Prof Inam Bhatti said that Sindh faced a threat to its integrity because assemblies had become ‘rubberstamp’. “Merely holding elections is not democracy,” he said, and noted that the institutions like media, election commission, judiciary and parliament are not independent. He said that rulers had not accepted units’ cultures and their national identity yet.
The speakers wondered what sins Sindhi people had committed for which they were deprived of their rights and opportunities of prosperity in the 21st century. He said Sindh had played a role in development of human civilisation historically.
Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2026
