SUKKUR: Sindh United Party (SUP) leader Syed Zain Shah has condemned the ban on rallies and public gatherings in Sindh, saying the restrictions violate fundamental constitutional principles. He was addressing the Sukkur District Bar Association on Tuesday, as reported by Dawn. The SUP condemns rally ban stance puts the party on a collision course with the provincial government.
The ban was imposed by the Sindh Home Department under Section 144 and runs from 12 October to 12 November. It bars public gatherings, rallies and sit-ins across the province. It followed a request from the Sindh Inspector General of Police, who cited threats to public safety.
Shah said Pakistan was undergoing a structural change rather than a merely administrative one. He warned that political discourse was drifting away from the spirit of the Constitution.
SUP condemns rally ban as unconstitutional
Shah said bans on rallies strike at the fundamental principles of the Constitution. He argued that the right to assemble peacefully is a constitutional guarantee, not a favour granted by any government.
He was speaking to lawyers at the Sukkur District Bar Association, a forum where nationalist leaders have often argued their case against federal overreach. Restrictions on public assembly have sparked disputes elsewhere too. In Islamabad, roadblocks were cleared only after a police pullback, showing how hard it has become to hold street protests.
Shah’s defence of the right to protest stands in contrast to the thin turnout at other opposition events this month. The PTI’s protest call in Peshawar drew a lacklustre response, which suggests that bans are not the only obstacle facing opposition mobilisation.
Article 239 and the new-provinces question
Shah argued that Article 239 of the Constitution does not address the creation of new provinces. Article 239 lays down the procedure for amending the Constitution. His point was that the amendment procedure cannot be used as a backdoor route to redraw provincial boundaries.
The SUP has consistently opposed the federal plan to create new provinces out of Sindh. Shah’s constitutional argument adds a legal dimension to a debate that has so far been fought mainly on the streets.
Opponents have linked the new-provinces proposal to talk of a 27th Constitutional Amendment. Nationalist parties say any change to a province’s territory needs that province’s consent.
Local governments “used to neutralise provinces”
Shah said local governments were being used to neutralise provincial governments. Shah argued that devolving powers to local bodies was being used to hollow out provincial authority from below. He said provinces should control their own resources and revenues. The federation, he argued, could not claim Sindh’s water, gas and minerals while leaving the province’s people without basic facilities.
His critique of governance comes as law and order faces scrutiny in the province. In one recent case, 52 tolas of gold went missing from a police station in Benazirabad, raising questions about police conduct.
Timing: two days before the Larkana march
Shah’s speech in Sukkur came two days before a planned “Sindh Unity March” in Larkana. The Jeay Sindh Rehbar Committee, an alliance of four nationalist parties, has called the march for Thursday, 15 October, against the new-provinces plan. Read our full report on the Sindh Unity March in Larkana.
The two developments point to a coordinated nationalist pushback. Rallies, bar speeches and a planned march now form a single campaign against the new-provinces proposal and the Section 144 ban.
Frequently asked questions
What did Syed Zain Shah say at the Sukkur bar?
He condemned the ban on rallies as a violation of fundamental constitutional principles. He also spoke on Article 239, the role of local governments, and the provinces’ right to control their own resources and revenues.
What is Article 239?
Article 239 of the Constitution of Pakistan lays down the procedure for constitutional amendments. Shah argued that it does not provide for the creation of new provinces.
How long will the Section 144 ban last?
The Sindh Home Department has imposed the ban from 12 October to 12 November. Assemblies of more than five people are prohibited across the province during this period.
Which other parties oppose the new-provinces plan?
The SUP is joined by Sindhi nationalist parties, including the four parties in the Jeay Sindh Rehbar Committee. They have planned a unity march in Larkana on 15 October against the proposal.
