The Pakistan People’s Party on Eidul Azha took a firm stand against any debate over Karachi’s constitutional status, with senior Sindh leaders warning the province would resist any attempt to place the country’s financial capital under federal control amid mounting speculation about a possible “28th Constitutional Amendment.”
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said, “It is impossible to hand Karachi over to the federation,” insisting the city “has always been a part of Sindh and will remain so.” Speaking to the media after Eid prayers at Rawal Farmhouse in Rahooki near Hyderabad, Memon accused opposition parties, particularly the MQM and Jamaat-e-Islami, of using anti-PPP rhetoric as the basis of their politics.
His remarks came amid growing political chatter on social media regarding a possible constitutional amendment related to provincial powers and the city’s administrative structure.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, speaking separately in Sehwan, reinforced the party’s position, saying no constitutional amendment could pass parliament without the consent of the PPP. “No one has discussed any 28th Amendment with us, nor has any draft been shared,” he said, dismissing reports of proposed changes affecting provinces or major cities as “mere speculation.”
Former senator Maula Bux Chandio went further, calling any such amendment “a threat to Sindh’s existence,” and warning that the people of Sindh would never accept attempts to weaken provincial autonomy.
The remarks signal a coordinated response from PPP leadership as political debate intensifies over the balance of power between the federation and the provinces, following recent infrastructure and governance discussions focused on Karachi.
In his media interaction, Sharjeel Memon also defended the Sindh government’s performance on local governance, anti-drug operations and women’s empowerment initiatives, and announced that the Latifabad-to-Hyder Chowk route in Hyderabad would become operational immediately after Eid. He said work on Karachi’s Red Line BRT project was continuing under the Sindh government’s supervision after contracts with foreign firms were cancelled.
Addressing civic issues, Memon acknowledged Sindh’s worsening water shortages, saying the province’s water supply depended entirely on the Indus River.
Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh government will attempt to provide maximum relief to the public in the upcoming provincial budget amid rising inflation and mounting price pressures. He also confirmed that there are no plans to create new districts in Sindh, and added that extensive rehabilitation work on Manchar Lake is well underway.
The PPP leaders’ unusually sharp tone highlights growing political sensitivity in Sindh over any discussion perceived as weakening provincial authority—particularly regarding Karachi, which remains both the engine of Pakistan’s economy and a central fault line in the country’s politics.