{
  "id": 6976999,
  "title": "MQM-P turns up the heat for new province, says urban Sindh case ‘strongest’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/mqm-p-turns-up-the-heat-for-new-province-says-urban-sindh-case",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T13:36:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Express Tribune - Pakistan",
    "slug": "the-express-tribune-pakistan",
    "url": "https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628935/mqm-p-turns-up-the-heat-for-new-province-says-urban-sindh-case-strongest"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The MQM-P has intensified its campaign for new provinces, asserting that the case for a separate administrative unit in urban Sindh is the most compelling in the nation. Urging transparency in the upcoming census and voter lists, party leader Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui warned that the PPP might be forced to consider the demand itself. Siddiqui, who serves as the Federal Education Minister, recalled that the call for new provinces originated during the APMSO era, long before the MQM's inception. He argued that provinces should be delineated based on population to enhance governance and spur development. Although the current provinces were primarily established along linguistic lines, Siddiqui maintained that the MQM-P was advocating for new provinces on administrative grounds. Of all province creation demands nationwide, he claimed the urban Sindh case was \"the strongest and most justified,\" as this region shoulders a significant portion of Pakistan's economic load while enduring persistent deprivation. Siddiqui further contended that a precise census and voter list correction would likely prompt the PPP to demand a new province. Senior MQM-P figure Dr Farooq Sattar contended that Pakistan's four provinces are dominated by a select few families, and despite the devolution of powers under the 18th Amendment, provincial authority has not reached the local level. Sattar introduced a constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly, aimed at empowering local governments under Article 140-A, and called for a public referendum on creating new provinces under Article 48(6), rallying individuals from diverse backgrounds to support the cause. Business leaders including Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rehan Hanif, trader leader Atiq Mir, and former bureaucrat Barrister Shahab Imam endorsed the arguments for administrative divisions and an empowered local government system, highlighting the deteriorating economic infrastructure in Karachi and the negative impact of hiring restrictions on local residents in public institutions.",
  "summary": "MQM-P leaders call for new provinces on administrative grounds, Khuhro says only PA can consent to split",
  "key_points": [
    "MQM-P asserts urban Sindh case as strongest for new province",
    "Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui calls for transparent census and voter lists",
    "Business leaders endorse administrative divisions and empowered local governments"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}