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The PPP’s top leadership drew a firm line on Sindh after Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari met for nearly five hours in London.
Sindh is the PPP’s undisputed political stronghold and its primary vote bank.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has resolved to resist any move to divide Sindh, with party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirming their opposition to any territorial changes to the province during a meeting in London, sources close to Zardari told CNN-News18.
The meeting lasted around five hours and came amid an intensifying political debate in Pakistan over the creation of new provinces and administrative units.
Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari also joined the London meeting, according to sources.
PPP Reaffirms Opposition To Sindh Division
Sources said the top PPP leadership backed the Sindh Assembly’s stand against any territorial changes to Sindh and maintained that any discussion on the creation of new provinces must be based on political consensus.
The party remains firmly opposed to proposals that could divide Sindh, including moves to carve out Karachi or create a separate southern province, sources said.
The stand comes after the Sindh Assembly unanimously rejected any proposal to divide the province or create new administrative units without the consent of the provincial legislature.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, while speaking during an adjournment motion on the province’s unity, said his government would not compromise on Sindh’s territorial integrity.
“Today, it will become clear who wants the division of Sindh and who opposes it,” Shah said.
He also argued that questions concerning Sindh’s boundaries should be debated through the constitutional and parliamentary process and criticised the fact that the issue had first been discussed outside the provincial assembly.
Why Sindh Is Critical For PPP
Sindh is the PPP’s undisputed political stronghold and its primary vote bank.
Sources said dividing the province could directly affect the party’s majority in the Sindh Assembly by altering the political and territorial base on which its dominance rests.
According to sources, such a move could also strip away what they view as the party’s economic engine and permanently erode its parliamentary power.
The debate is particularly sensitive for the PPP because proposals for new provinces in Pakistan have repeatedly raised questions of administrative reorganisation as well as ethnic, linguistic and regional identity.
While supporters of smaller administrative units argue that they could improve governance and representation, the PPP-led Sindh government has framed the issue as one of territorial integrity and constitutional authority.
PPP Sources See Wider Political Motive
PPP sources view the push for administrative restructuring as a move aimed at decentralising political power and weakening civilian rule.
They believe any reorganisation of provincial boundaries on terms backed by Pakistan’s military establishment could set a dangerous precedent for military overreach into civilian political affairs.
The issue has also unfolded amid heightened political activity involving the PPP leadership, the federal government and the military establishment.
Zardari and Bilawal have been in London, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is regarded as close to Pakistan’s military leadership, recently met Zardari there. Political de-escalation was reportedly among the issues discussed during that meeting.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The PPP opposes the division of Sindh because it is their primary political stronghold and vote bank. Dividing the province could diminish their majority in the Sindh Assembly, erode their economic base, and weaken their parliamentary power. They also view it as a potential military overreach into civilian affairs.
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Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18
September 05, 2026, 2:34 PM IST
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