- PPP should express displeasure where matter originated: Kamal.
- Sindh minister says Khalid Maqbool under severe mental pressure.
- PPP’s Saeed Ghani says Sindh people alone can decide on provinces.
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal warned on Sunday that a constitutional amendment on the creation of new provinces would come without PM’s adviser on political and public affaris, Rana Sanaullah, even knowing about it.
His remarks came a day after Sanaullah had said the establishment had not yet spoken to the government about the provinces issue and that the matter had not been discussed in the cabinet or parliament.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Kamal — who is also federal minister for health and national services — noted that neither the 26th nor the 27th constitutional amendments had been discussed in the cabinet before they emerged.
He said that Sanaullah should clarify whether those two amendments had come after cabinet discussions.
Kamal further said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) should express its displeasure where the matter originated, adding that “those who will get it done will get this done too.”
Earlier in the day, MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, addressing a press conference alongside Dr Farooq Sattar and Kamal in Karachi, called for a national dialogue on the creation of new provinces, saying Pakistan’s existing administrative structure no longer corresponded to the country’s demographic realities and governance requirements.
He urged political parties to rise above partisan differences and build consensus on administrative reforms, arguing the issue should be addressed through an inclusive national discussion rather than political confrontation.
Siddiqui said support for the proposal was growing across the political spectrum and that MQM-P was prepared to engage with all stakeholders to develop a framework for new provinces where needed.
He maintained that Pakistan’s provinces were originally formed on linguistic considerations and had since evolved into large administrative units, with successive governments creating numerous districts while avoiding a broader debate on provincial reorganisation.
“The effects of not creating new provinces should also be discussed,” he said.
PPP hits back
Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah dismissed MQM-P’s press conference, saying Khalid Maqbool’s remarks made it clear he was under severe mental pressure.
Shah said MQM-P’s self-styled leadership appeared angry and frustrated whenever it held press conferences, calling it a reflection of the party’s political isolation and helplessness.
He said MQM-P’s leadership was neither elected by the people of Karachi nor their true representative, adding that the people of Karachi had already rejected them.
“Sindh will not be divided — but I can see MQM itself dividing,” he said, adding that the people of Karachi were with the PPP on the journey of love, peace and progress.
Shah said MQM-P was not talking about holding the province hostage but rather the people, trade, peace and prosperity of the city. He described Farooq Sattar as the “12th player” of the current MQM, which he said was no longer united.
Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani, in a video statement, said MQM-P should not spread hatred in Sindh out of spite against the PPP.
He said if the people of Sindh wanted a new province, they were welcome to pursue it through constitutional means — but if the people of Sindh collectively said they did not need another province, no outsider could be allowed to make that decision for them.
Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed said MQM-P’s “province card” was the party’s last attempt at political bankruptcy, accusing Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of misleading the public by telling only half the truth about the Constitution.
