No more provinces – Pakistan needs devolution, Equal Rights and Justice, not the New Borders
People who migrated to Sindh and people who came from other provinces are also citizens of Pakistan and deserve equal rights. But equal citizenship must never mean erasing the historical identity of the province in which people live.
Dr. Jaipal Chhabria
Pakistan does not need more provinces. Pakistan needs more democracy, stronger local governments, genuine devolution of power, equal citizenship, rule of law and justice for every person.
The demand for new provinces is often presented as a solution to administrative problems, population growth or political deprivation. But creating new provincial boundaries does not automatically solve these problems. If power remains concentrated in a few hands, a new province will simply reproduce the same problems on a smaller map.
Pakistan’s real challenge is not the number of provinces. The real challenge is the concentration of political, administrative and economic power at the top. The answer should therefore be devolution—not division.
Sindh has a unique place in the history of Pakistan. The Sindh Legislative Assembly passed the Pakistan Resolution on 3 March 1943, making it the first provincial legislature in British India to formally support the creation of Pakistan.
Therefore, Sindh cannot be treated as merely an administrative territory that can be divided whenever a political demand emerges. Sindh has its own historic identity, civilization, language, culture and political tradition. Its people have a deep emotional relationship with their land.
At the same time, Sindhis have historically welcomed people from different parts of the subcontinent. After Partition, millions of people migrated to Pakistan, and Sindh—particularly Karachi—became a home for many of them. People from other provinces have also come to Sindh for employment, business, education and better opportunities.
This diversity is a strength of Sindh and Pakistan. But welcoming people does not mean that the historic identity, political rights and resources of the indigenous population should be ignored.
Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan and the economic center of the country. But geographically, historically and culturally, Karachi is part of Sindh.
The solution to Karachi’s problems is not to separate Karachi from Sindh. Karachi needs a powerful, accountable and properly funded local government, effective municipal services, modern transport, water management, policing, planning and a functioning justice system.
If Karachi suffers from poor governance, the answer should be better governance—not a new province.
Similarly, if people in South Punjab, Hazara, Bahawalpur, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or other regions feel deprived, their legitimate demands for development and representation must be addressed through democratic and constitutional mechanisms.
There is no universal rule that a province must be divided once its population becomes large.
India provides an important example. Uttar Pradesh has a population of more than 200 million, yet it remains one state. Other countries, including the United States, Indonesia, Brazil and Germany, manage large and diverse populations through different levels of government.
The lesson is simple: large population requires better administration—not necessarily new provinces.
Pakistan should establish genuine local governments with constitutional protection, financial resources and clearly defined powers. Districts, municipalities and local councils should have the authority to solve local problems instead of waiting for provincial or federal governments for every decision.
SINDH’S SENSE OF DEPRIVATION MUST NOT BE IGNORED
The people of Sindh have genuine concerns about land, water, employment, natural resources, political representation and the distribution of development funds.
Many Sindhis already feel that their province’s resources and opportunities have not benefited its people proportionately and that decisions concerning Sindh are frequently made without adequate participation of its people.
Whether every individual claim is correct or not, the feeling of deprivation itself is politically important and must be addressed with seriousness and sensitivity.
For many Sindhis, the question of the integrity of Sindh is not merely an administrative matter. It is connected with history, identity, land, language and dignity.
Therefore, any attempt to create a new province in Sindh without broad consensus could deepen mistrust and create permanent hostility between communities.
The Sindh Assembly has passed resolutions opposing the creation of new provinces or the division of Sindh on various occasions. Any future constitutional change concerning provincial boundaries must therefore be approached with the greatest caution and through genuine democratic consensus.
A constitutional amendment should never become a tool for imposing a territorial solution on a province against the wishes of its people.
A proposal sometimes described as a possible “28th Amendment” for creating additional provinces should be examined extremely carefully. The issue is not simply whether Parliament has the constitutional authority to amend the Constitution. The larger question is whether such an amendment would strengthen Pakistan’s federation or create deeper divisions.
Suppose Pakistan creates five, ten or fifteen additional provinces. Will corruption automatically disappear?
Will hospitals suddenly become better?
Will schools become functional?
Will courts become faster?
Will unemployment disappear?
Will water and electricity automatically reach every citizen?
Obviously not.
Justice does not come from drawing a line on a map. Justice comes from institutions.
Pakistan needs police reform, judicial reform, local government reform, civil-service reform, transparent public spending and strong accountability.
THE DANGER OF CREATING PERMANENT HATRED
Pakistan is already a diverse country consisting of different linguistic, cultural and historical communities. This diversity should be celebrated within one constitutional federation.
If provincial division becomes a competition between ethnic or linguistic groups, it can produce a dangerous politics of “us versus them”.
What begins as a demand for administrative efficiency can eventually become a struggle over land, resources, identity and political control.
That is why responsible political leadership must prevent confrontation rather than encourage it.
No political objective is worth creating hatred among citizens who have lived together for generations.
THE REAL SOLUTION: DEVOLUTION OF POWER
Pakistan should implement the constitutional principle of devolution in its true spirit.
There should be:
Strong and financially empowered local governments.
Directly elected mayors and local representatives.
Transparent distribution of resources.
Greater administrative authority at district and municipal levels.
Independent and accessible justice.
Equal opportunities in education and employment.
Protection of provincial languages and cultures.
Fair distribution of federal and provincial development funds.
Transparent management of natural resources.
Effective accountability at every level.
Equal citizenship regardless of language, religion, ethnicity or place of birth.
RESPECT SINDH, STRENGTHEN PAKISTAN
Sindh does not need to be divided to become prosperous. Sindh needs good governance.
Sindhis do not need their identity weakened; they need their rights protected.
People who migrated to Sindh and people who came from other provinces are also citizens of Pakistan and deserve equal rights. But equal citizenship must never mean erasing the historical identity of the province in which people live.
Equality and identity can coexist.
Pakistan’s strength lies not in creating more borders but in creating stronger institutions.
We should not divide provinces when we can decentralize power.
We should not create new conflicts when we can create better governance.
We should not weaken historical identities when we can protect every culture within one federation.
Pakistan needs devolution, not division; justice, not confrontation; equal citizenship, not ethnic competition.
Sindh is an historic component of Pakistan and its people have a legitimate emotional, cultural and constitutional stake in the integrity of their province. Any attempt to alter its boundaries must therefore require the broadest possible democratic consensus.
The future of Pakistan should be built on federalism, provincial autonomy, empowered local governments, equal rights and justice for all.
Let us strengthen Pakistan by taking power closer to the people—not by creating more borders between the people.
Read: Zardari, Sindh and the Battle over New Provinces
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Dr. Jaipal Chhabria is based in Karachi
