KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday firmly rejected the proposal to carve out a new province in Sindh, saying any such move could only be made through the constitutional process and with the approval of the Sindh Assembly.
The chief minister’s remarks came amid an ongoing political debate triggered by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent call for creating more administrative units or provinces as part of broader governance and constitutional reforms.
Speaking to reporters after addressing the Mining Technical Conference 2026, Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh Assembly had repeatedly and unanimously opposed any proposal to divide the province.
“The Sindh Assembly has repeatedly opposed the creation of any new province in Sindh with complete consensus,” he said.
He maintained that the Constitution clearly outlines the procedure for altering provincial boundaries.
“If a provincial assembly passes a resolution with a two-thirds majority to redefine or divide a province, only then can it happen,” the chief minister said.
The debate over administrative restructuring intensified after Mohsin Naqvi argued that Pakistan’s existing governance system had “collapsed” and called on political parties to build consensus on creating additional provinces or administrative units to improve governance.
Murad Ali Shah also commented on the right to protest, saying peaceful demonstrations were a democratic right but should not disrupt public life.
“People have every right to protest after obtaining permission from the government, but they should ensure traffic flow is not disrupted and citizens are not inconvenienced,” he said.
Responding to concerns over flour prices, the chief minister said the provincial government had already arranged the procurement of one million tonnes of wheat to ensure market stability.
He added that authorities had also recovered between 250,000 and 300,000 tonnes of wheat from hoarders and were taking effective measures to prevent any increase in flour prices.
Earlier, addressing the Mining Technical Conference 2026, Murad Ali Shah highlighted the growing contribution of Thar coal to Pakistan’s energy sector.
He said the utilisation of indigenous Thar coal was saving the country more than $1.5 billion annually in import costs and announced plans to increase electricity generation from Thar coal to 3,000 megawatts.
The chief minister said the development of local energy resources remained vital for enhancing Pakistan’s energy security, reducing reliance on imported fuel and supporting sustainable long-term economic growth.
