Asif says he sees ‘something more’ behind PPP’s ‘two-faced policy’, calls devolution of powers ‘inevitable’

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said he saw “something more” behind the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) “two-faced policy”, adding that he would explain it “when the time comes” and that “the devolution of powers is inevitable”.

In a post on X on late Saturday night, Asif said, “When the matter of a Saraiki province in Punjab arises, the PPP supports it or shows a soft corner on this issue. And when the talk turns from four to multiple provinces or administrative units, the talk for Sindhudesh begins.”

“I see something more behind this two-faced policy of the PPP. I will explain it when the time comes,” he wrote.

“We are, first and last, Pakistanis,” Asif said.

“Devolution is a constitutional principle settled through the 18th Amendment, which has not been respected,” he wrote.

“The time and circumstances demand that it be implemented with honesty,” Asif said.

“Democracy can flourish at the grassroots level, and the people can benefit from its fruits,” he wrote.

“The point is simply this: what the current system has done with the accumulation of obsolete powers. It needs to be corrected with honesty,” Asif said.

“Label the provinces or administrative units whatever you like. You have 36 divisions—use them or devise some other administrative geographical scheme,” he wrote.

“The devolution of powers is inevitable,” Asif said.

Read: Sharjeel Memon says new provinces can only be created through constitutional process

The debate over the new province started last month when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for the creation of additional administrative units or provinces to overhaul the country’s outdated governance system, stressing that meaningful structural reforms were essential to ensure justice and create opportunities for young people. This has resulted in a series of remarks thrown back and forth from major political parties in Sindh.

A few days after the suggestion, CM Shah rejected Naqvi’s claims that the governance system had collapsed, saying that no bloodshed would be allowed over the issue of creating new provinces.

“The people of Sindh say that the provinces will be built on our dead bodies. My brother, we will not let anyone’s dead bodies fall. Don’t dramatise it so much. There is a way in the constitution to build provinces. And in that constitution, it is written that if an assembly of a province passes a resolution with a two-thirds majority to divide the province, then it is possible,” he said.

Later, MQM-P said it would launch a grand national dialogue with other political parties on the creation of new provinces and administrative units, arguing that Pakistan’s growing population, poor governance and concentration of political power had made further administrative devolution necessary.

Kamal also said the proposal for administrative units in Sindh was not directed against Sindhis but was intended to give residents greater political control over their own affairs. “Creating administrative units is not against Sindhis; it is for Sindhis,” he said.

Also Read: Sindh CM rejects call for new provinces, terms it ‘outdated’

MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar supported the division proposal, arguing that further administrative units were essential for Pakistan’s survival, development and stability. “If the status quo is not ended, rebellions will emerge in different parts of the country,” he said.

However, Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah criticised the MQM-P, saying its call for new provinces and administrative units reflected political frustration and isolation. Rejecting the party’s demand for administrative changes in Sindh, Shah said, “Sindh will not be divided, but I certainly see the Muttahida being divided.”

Later, Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani joined in opposition to the suggestion, saying that the people of Sindh, including political parties, were united in their opposition to the creation of a new province in Sindh.

Reacting to comments by leaders of MQM-P, Ghani said the constitutional authority to decide on the creation of a new province rested with the people concerned. He also accused Siddiqui, Sattar and Kamal of attempting to revive what he described as politics of hatred.