Palijo warns against 'playing withfire' over Sindh division

Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) President Barrister Ayaz Latif Palijo has urged journalists and media organisations to stop propagating the idea of dividing Sindh, warning that such narratives could have dangerous consequences for the province and the country. In a letter addressed to journalists, anchorpersons, columnists and media managers, Palijo said similar narratives had preceded major upheavals in the country, including the imposition of the One-Unit system, the separation of East Pakistan, the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the killing of Akbar Bugti. "Please do not play with fire and do not play with this country for petty vested interests," he said. Palijo rejected the argument that creating smaller provinces was the answer to decades of corruption and poor governance. Citing Afghanistan, Nepal, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Angola, he argued that smaller size or population did not automatically translate into development. He also pointed to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir as examples. "The only cure for bad governance is good governance and nothing else," he said, advocating fully empowered local governments and an uncompromising accountability system to address civic and developmental problems. He rejected any linguistic or administrative justification for separating Karachi from Sindh, calling the city an integral part of the province. Palijo also recalled Sindh's historical role in the Pakistan movement.