In a Karachi seminar, all the PPP leaders, constitution makers, and senior journalists rejected any move to federalize Karachi, cut down the NFC shares of Sindh, or dilute the 18th Amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution. According to Mian Raza Rabbani, two-thirds majority is required in parliament for any change in the city’s administrative setup.
KARACHI: Leaders of Pakistan People’s Party held a high profile seminar in Karachi yesterday to put forth a unified and open protest against proposals that they see as a conspiracy against provincial autonomy. These include PPP’s opposition to the imposition of the federal rule in Karachi, its opposition to cuts in the NFC share of Sindh province, and its refusal to accept any amendments to the constitution that would undermine the autonomous structure of provinces created under the 18th Amendment in 2010. It should be noted that the name of the seminar – “Are the Demands for Federal Rule in Karachi, NFC Cut and Opposition to the 18th Amendment Part of a Conspiracy Against Reverting Sindh to One Unit?” – reflects PPP’s view of the matter.
What the speakers said
Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, President of PPP Sindh, made it clear at the beginning itself that the 18th Amendment was not only a feat of politics but a constitutionally guaranteed right for the provinces, and it formed a major pillar of the federation of Pakistan. It was further clarified by him that the PPP would stand against any amendment that would reduce the rights of the provinces in question through democratic and constitutional ways. With regard to Karachi, the federal government’s proposal was outrightly rejected as unconstitutional.
Rabbani The Two Thirds Threshold Warning
Mian Raza Rabbani, former chairman of the senate and a key architect of the 18th Amendment, provided the most constitutionally sound warning in his address to the seminar. Karachi would forever be the capital of Sindh, said Rabbani, and any attempt to change this constitutional reality would have to be done via legislation through the parliamentary route with the requisite two-thirds vote. This two-thirds vote requirement of 224 members of the National Assembly would make it highly unlikely that any future government would be able to do so.
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NFC Award and CCI Complaint: Failure of constitutional processes
According to Rabbani, there was also an issue of intentional delay by the federal government in holding sessions of the Council of Common Interests and declaring a new National Finance Commission Award. The CCI is constitutionally mandated to resolve any conflicts that arise between the federation and the provinces in Pakistan; however, its meetings have not been being held as required by the Constitution. Moreover, the NFC award, which allocates the national tax revenue among the federating entities, has also been delayed. The rationale behind the federal government taking such steps is explained by Rabbani as follows.
The Broader Political Implications
PPC’s rejection of the idea of putting Karachi under federal control and its stance against any attempt to reverse the 18th Amendment through backroom deals of 2026 is more than just an issue of political policy. PPC leads the provincial government of Sindh and is also a member of the ruling coalition on the federal level. Thus, it becomes quite clear why its open criticism of the ideas put forward by members of its own government poses a challenge for the ruling party coalition. The characterization of the proposed idea of federal control as a conspiracy to restore One Unit period, an event from Sindh’s worst constitutional era, is a sure sign of things to come.
On a broader level with regard to Pakistan’s federal system, the unambiguous resolutions reached by the seminar consisting of representatives from all these quarters point to a solidification of opposition to the centralization proposals within the politics and intelligents of Sindh. It may never be known whether the federal government was really considering implementing any of the suggestions now being opposed by PPP. One thing is certain, though; that PPP has staked out its position on the matter and set some constitutional benchmarks.
