Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his father President Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to maintain the party’s opposition to any division of Sindh, according to Geo News.
The five-hour meeting, held at Zardari’s residence in London, was also attended by Bilawal’s sister Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, news reports have claimed.
The meeting focused on Pakistan’s political and overall situation, as well as the PPP’s position on proposals to create new provinces or divide existing ones.
According to reports, the meeting concluded with a decision to stand firm against any move to divide Sindh.
A speech delivered by PPP leader Faryal Talpur was also discussed during the meeting.
The meeting came two days after the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution rejecting proposals to divide the province, alter its territorial boundaries or create new administrative units.
The resolution stated that the assembly would not consent to any territorial alteration involving Sindh.
Bilawal has said the PPP’s position on the creation of new provinces is clear and that such decisions should be reached through consensus.
Referring to Sindh, he said the matter should be discussed in the provincial assembly.
The renewed debate over administrative restructuring began in late July when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan’s governance system had “collapsed” and called for new administrative units, which he said could be called provinces or something else.
He also advocated devolving powers to lower levels of government.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal subsequently proposed creating 12 to 15 provinces and called for a national debate and political consensus on administrative reforms.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah later described the debate as premature, while the PPP maintained that questions concerning provinces should be debated through the assemblies
