Bilawal says Sindh Assembly has ended debate on new provinces
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday that the Sindh Assembly has already decided against further administrative units in Sindh. He said only the people of the province can decide its future.
- Bilawal said the Sindh Assembly has already settled the issue of further administrative units and the debate should end.
- He said no federal discussion has taken place on a proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
- He spoke in Karachi after inaugurating the expansion of a public-private project at Spencer's Eye Hospital.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday that the Sindh Assembly had already made its decision on further administrative units in the province and that the debate should now be closed.
He was speaking to reporters in Karachi's Lyari area after inaugurating the expansion of a public-private project to uplift Dr Kaikhusrow Nanabhoy Spencer's Eye Hospital. Bilawal repeated the PPP's stance against the division of Sindh. According to The Express Tribune, he said the party and the Assembly had repeatedly made their position clear and that elected representatives had reflected the will of the people.
He said only the people of Sindh could decide the province's future and that no one else had the right to decide the fate of its cities. He added that politicians should serve the public instead of promoting hatred and division. According to The Express Tribune, he criticised certain political representatives for spreading division rather than addressing public problems.
Asked whether the federal government or its coalition partners had discussed proposals to amend the 18th Amendment through a proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment, Bilawal answered in the negative. 24 News reported him as saying that the federal government had not held discussions on the proposed amendment.
Bilawal also said Karachi is Pakistan's economic hub and needs strong cooperation among federal, provincial and local authorities. He said the federal government and other institutions needed to pay attention to the city's development, and according to The Express Tribune he criticised the federal government over Karachi's rightful share.
He voiced concern over the electricity crisis, saying power was either unavailable or too expensive. He said the hospital had been upgraded to run on solar power and that he wished to extend similar arrangements across Lyari to provide cheaper electricity. He named poverty and unemployment as major challenges for the country.
On the hospital, 24 News reported that it was restored and reopened on April 6, 2026, under Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and offers free outpatient eye care to about 4,000 patients daily. The mayor said its foundation stone was laid in 1938 and it became operational in 1940. He said the operation theatre was working and that medicines and spectacles were available at discounted rates.
Why it matters
Proposals to create new provinces out of Sindh would change the country's federal structure, and the PPP, which leads the province, has restated its opposition. The remarks also touch on Karachi's services, including electricity and free healthcare.
