Amid the ongoing debate over the creation of new provinces and the PPP’s outright rejection of the proposal, President Asif Ali Zardari’s extended presence in London has raised questions about the political dimensions of the tour, particularly when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had recently floated the idea, is also in the UK.
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who → raise → UK
While some believe the president travelled to London solely for a medical check-up, others view the visit as a political move aimed at putting pressure on the government.
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others → believe → government
An official video clip of Mr Naqvi’s meeting with President Zardari also generated discussion about the president’s position.
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clip → generate → position
After all, it was the interior minister who ignited the fresh debate through his diatribe about the collapse of the existing governance system, and called for a ‘reset’.
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who → ignite → reset
Following his London sojourn, Mr Naqvi recently doubled down on his demand for new administrative units.
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Naqvi → follow → units
Addressing a National Policy Dialogue on ‘Devolution of Powers and Good Governance in Pakistan’ at the University of Management and Technology on Saturday, Mr Naqvi clarified that his proposed “reset” did not mean a change of government or political party, rather a comprehensive review and restructuring of the administrative system to make it responsive to the needs of citizens.
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He even called for a debate on granting provincial status to Islamabad, saying residents of the federal capital did not receive a share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.
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residents → call → award
‘Apolitical’ trip
The president’s meeting with the interior minister was followed by gatherings of senior PPP leaders with Mr Zardari in London and, subsequently, the passage of a resolution by the Sindh Assembly rejecting the creation of new provinces.
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meeting → follow → provinces
The sequence of events has led to speculation that the PPP’s position was discussed during the London meetings and that the Sindh Assembly resolution was adopted with the president’s consent.
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resolution → lead → consent
The issue of President Zardari’s ‘Euro trip’ and his meeting with the interior minister and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar was also raised at last week’s Foreign Office briefing.
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issue → raise → briefing
However, the FO spokesperson did not respond, instead referring the question to the Presidency.
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spokesperson → respond → Presidency
When contacted, President Zardari’s spokesperson Murtaza Solangi told Dawn he was unaware of the details of the president’s visit, or when he would return to the country.
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he → contact → country
I never seek details of his private visits,” he said.
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he → seek → visits
PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari also maintained that the president had travelled to London only for a medical check-up and that there was nothing political about the trip.
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president → maintain → trip
Responding to a question about Mr Zardari’s meeting with Mr Naqvi, he said the interior minister had maintained a close association with the president for a long time.
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minister → respond → time
“There was nothing serious if the minister met Zardari sahib to inquire about his health,” he said.
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he → be → health
Another PPP source, however, confirmed that the president’s visit had reasons beyond his medical treatment.
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visit → confirm → treatment
PPP leaders meet Zardari
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leaders → meet → Zardari
The source said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Dr Asim Hussain, considered close confidants of the president, also joined him later in the UK.
“President Zardari has conveyed a clear message to the government through passage of a resolution in Sindh Assembly that he and his party ruling in Sindh reject any plan to create new provinces,” the source said.
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source → say → provinces
According to the source, the PPP had initially agreed in principle to the creation of two new provinces in Punjab — south Punjab and Bahawalpur — but changed its position after the government began considering the creation of new federating units in all four existing provinces.
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government → accord → provinces
The party subsequently opposed the broader proposal, and has recently questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s silence on the politically sensitive issue of creating new provinces and sought a clear position from him.
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party → oppose → him
The party had initially not opposed the idea of creating additional federating units, but insisted that any such move should be undertaken in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Constitution.
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move → oppose → Constitution
Now, it is openly opposing the proposal, with the PPP-led Sindh government securing passage of a resolution in the provincial assembly rejecting any further division of the country’s four existing provinces.
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government → oppose → provinces
The development is politically significant because, although the PML-N-led government enjoys a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, it relies on PPP support.
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it → lead → support
If the PPP withdraws that support, implementing any constitutional amendment aimed at creating new provinces would become considerably more difficult.
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implementing → withdraw → provinces
IPP chief slams govt
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Adding to the growing criticism from within the ruling coalition, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, who belongs to another government ally, the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), also criticised the government on Sunday over what he described as its poor performance.
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he → add → performance
He said people were not being provided with basic necessities and that no one who genuinely loved the country could be satisfied with the existing system.
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Mr Khan pointed to shortages of clean drinking water, deteriorating hospitals and the large number of children deprived of education.
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Khan → point → education
He also highlighted the poor condition of schools across the country.
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In a message on X, Mr Khan said people remained deprived of basic facilities while their hardships were increasing day by day.
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hardships → say → day
“If the provinces were delivering effectively under the existing system, why would the people be in such a condition?” he asked.
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he → deliver → condition
He said there was a need to set aside prejudice and examine the actual condition of the people, arguing that the public was frustrated and deprived of basic amenities.
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public → say → amenities
