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• Suggested slug: mqm-p-new-administrative-units-urban-sindh
• Category: National News
• Focus keyphrase: new administrative units
• SEO title: MQM-P Demands New Administrative Units for Urban Sindh
• Meta description: MQM-P chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has renewed the call for new administrative units in Sindh, saying devolution can fix Karachi’s civic crises.
• Tags: MQM-P, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, new administrative units, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sindh, devolution, national dialogue, PPP
• Original element: own data point — verified July 30 to October 18 timeline of the provinces debate built from Tribune reporting, plus contrast with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s same-evening remarks on new provinces (reported by Dawn and Tribune)
• Source: Tribune Pakistan (“MQM-P calls for new administrative units to address urban Sindh’s woes”, published 18 Oct 2026, 23:04 PKT)
• Image: hourly-2335-mqm-p-administrative-units.webp (1200×675 WebP, 33KB) — Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui at a press conference; image_title “mqm-p khalid maqbool siddiqui press conference”, image_alt “new administrative units – MQM-P chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui addressing the media”, image_caption “MQM-P Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui addressing the media. Image: Express”, image_credit “Image: Express”

MQM-P Renews Call for New Administrative Units to Fix Urban Sindh’s Woes

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan has renewed its demand for new administrative units in Sindh, arguing that real devolution is the only fix for the civic failures of Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban centres.

MQM-P Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui made the case at a meeting with legal experts at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters.

What MQM-P demanded

“Establishing new and empowered administrative units is the biggest challenge and the solution to ensuring that people receive their rights at their doorstep,” Siddiqui told the gathering.

The meeting brought together the Muttahida Lawyers Forum, the party’s Legal Aid Committee and prominent legal experts, including senior MQM-P leader Wasim Akhtar and former judge Qazi Khalid. They discussed urban Sindh’s civic challenges, legal reform, judicial performance and strategies for freeing detained party workers.

Siddiqui said poor services and the failure to devolve powers had fuelled public anger in Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban districts, and called for a new administrative arrangement to restore balance in governance.

Legal experts said existing laws contained gaps that could be exploited to deny citizens their rights, and presented draft amendments to close them. The meeting also backed wide judicial reform for timely, affordable and transparent justice.

The Legal Aid Committee pledged to expand free legal help, and the party said it would press its demands through political, constitutional and legal channels.

New administrative units debate: how we got here

The current push for administrative restructuring did not begin with MQM-P. The debate opened on July 30, when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called for additional administrative units or provinces as part of a wider overhaul of the governance system. Naqvi argued that structural reforms were needed to improve governance, deliver justice and create opportunities for young people.

A day later, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said an administrative reset, if required, should be carried out for good governance.

The idea quickly turned politically sensitive in Sindh. The PPP rejected any move to divide the province, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called Naqvi’s claim that the governance system had collapsed outdated, warning that no bloodshed would be allowed over the creation of new provinces.

In August, MQM-P formally backed new provinces and called for a national dialogue, arguing that population growth, weak governance and concentrated power made greater devolution necessary. The stance put the federal coalition partner directly at odds with the PPP in Sindh.

On September 3, the Sindh Assembly unanimously rejected any proposal to divide Sindh, declaring that “Sindh is one and shall remain one”.

On September 5, Naqvi said he would keep backing new provinces regardless of his own position, arguing the public should weigh the pros and cons first. That sparked a constitutional debate over a referendum under Article 48(6), though a referendum alone could not create a province.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan warned on September 7 that dividing Sindh or any province without the consent of its people would weaken the federation, while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said any final decision had to come through consensus and suggested Islamabad could serve as a starting point.

Where the PPP stands tonight

MQM-P’s renewed call landed on the same day that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari weighed in on the provinces question from a different angle. Speaking in Karachi on Sunday evening, Bilawal said new provinces could be created in line with the Constitution and law, but added that it was “not possible without the president’s signature”.

The two statements show the split: MQM-P frames new administrative units as an urgent remedy for urban Sindh’s failures, while the PPP treats the question as a constitutional matter tied to federal consensus.

What happens next

With the interior minister still backing restructuring, the Sindh Assembly opposed and the PPP insisting on constitutional process, the provinces question will stay at the centre of national politics.

FAQ

What is MQM-P demanding?

MQM-P wants new and empowered administrative units in Sindh, with real devolution of powers, so that Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban areas get better basic services and citizens can access their rights locally.

Why does MQM-P say new administrative units are needed?

Siddiqui says poor services and the failure to devolve powers have fuelled public anger in Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban districts.

What does the PPP say about new provinces?

The PPP rejects dividing Sindh. On September 3 the Sindh Assembly unanimously declared that Sindh “is one and shall remain one”.

Can a new province be created in Pakistan?

Creating a province requires the constitutional amendment process. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said it is “not possible without the president’s signature”. A referendum under Article 48(6) can gauge public opinion but cannot by itself create a province.