Mansoor Nizamani<\/p>\n
The debate over the administrative division of Sindh is continuing with great intensity in the country\u2019s so-called national media. In various television programmes and analyses, Sindh\u2019s existing administrative structure is being presented as the fundamental cause of its problems, while new administrative units are being portrayed as if they were the only solution to every problem. Discussing any political proposal is the beauty of democracy, but if only one opinion is continuously and systematically presented, while the public position of Sindh is not given adequate space in the media, questions about the transparency of the national media naturally arise.
\nBefore forming an opinion about Sindh, it is essential to understand its history, society and political temperament. Sindh has been a region with its own distinct historical and cultural identity for centuries. Here, the concept of provincial unity is not limited merely to administrative boundaries; rather, it is connected with the historical consciousness and collective sentiments of its people. Therefore, examining the division of Sindh merely on the basis of population, administration of cities or problems of governance would be an oversimplification of a complex issue.
\nThe problems of Karachi are real and cannot be denied at all. The city needs better local government, modern infrastructure, effective transportation, clean water, an efficient drainage system and strong administrative institutions. But the question is: why should the solution to these problems necessarily be the division of the province? If the administrative performance of a city is weak, these problems can also be addressed by empowering local governments, ensuring a fair distribution of resources and improving the performance of institutions. Linking administrative failure necessarily with geographical division is not logically correct.
\nAt the same time, it is also necessary to look at what the problems of other cities and rural areas of Sindh are. Lack of education, healthcare, agriculture facilities, water, employment, roads, hospitals and basic services is affecting many areas. If administrative division is presented as the fundamental formula for development, then it is also necessary to ask whether a new administrative map would automatically solve all these problems. The reality is that development does not depend only on changing the map, but also on policies, resources, institutions and the quality of governance. It is the responsibility of the media to place such questions before the public. If an analyst supports a new province or administrative unit, he has every right to present his arguments, but on the same screen, the arguments against that proposal should also be heard. Instead of merely telling the public the conclusion, it is necessary to present different viewpoints, statistics, historical background and possible consequences. The quality of journalism will be determined by whether the debate is connected with ground realities. The public opinion of Sindh should also be given priority so that the reality of what the people are thinking can be understood.
\nUnfortunately, it can be observed that the debate about Sindh in the national media often appears disconnected from the current political sentiments of the people of Sindh. At times, conversations are heard in which the concerns of the people of Sindh are not understood but are instead reduced merely to a political slogan. Such an approach does not solve the problem; rather, it creates a feeling among the people that their opinion is not being given importance. The national media must strengthen the tradition of not only speaking about the people but also listening to what the people have to say. This issue is not limited to Sindh alone. In a multi-national, multilingual and federal country like Pakistan, discussions about the affairs of provinces should be conducted with extreme caution. If the political and historical sensitivities of a province are ignored and only one\u2019s preferred viewpoint is given importance while talking about division, then a reaction from the people of Sindh is also a natural consequence. The federation will become stronger when its different units have a sense of respect, trust and equality. Continuous suspicion, accusations and taunts cannot strengthen federal relations among the provinces. There are many human and economic ties between the people of Sindh and Punjab at the general level. Millions of people are connected with one province and another because of employment, education, trade and other necessities. Instead of turning the people of these two provinces against each other, the media should strengthen these public relationships. Turning political differences into public hatred should not be the objective of responsible journalism. When journalists and analysts speak about a sensitive issue, the impact of their words extends far beyond the television studio. An irresponsible statement can create misunderstandings among thousands of people, while a balanced analysis can take the same debate towards reason and tolerance. Therefore, along with freedom of journalism, journalistic responsibility is equally important. Freedom does not mean that any position should be presented before the public without testing it against facts.
\nIf the debate taking place in the national media about the division of Sindh is to be genuinely assessed, it is necessary to move beyond the noise of television studios. It is essential to visit different areas of Sindh, speak with local people, intellectuals, teachers, traders, young people and political groups, and understand their diverse opinions. Forming an opinion about the future of a province merely on the basis of social media posts, closed-room discussions or selected statistics would be a blemish on journalistic investigation and would have no real value before the public. At present, the country needs journalism that can tolerate disagreement, present questions before the public with an open mind, and examine every sensitive issue through reasoning rather than emotional slogans. Supporting or opposing the division of Sindh is the political right of every citizen, but before calling any position a public consensus, it is necessary to see what the genuine opinion of the people on the ground actually is.
\nA decision about the future of Sindh should not be made through any media campaign, television debate or the opinions of a few analysts. Such decisions should be made while keeping public aspirations, constitutional principles, historical realities and the broader interests of the federation in view. The job of the media is not to announce a decision but to help the public understand the issue. If journalism returns to this basic responsibility, differences will be reduced and no such conflict will emerge that could cause harm to the nation and the country. We must remember that Pakistan\u2019s strength lies in the strength of the federation, and the strength of the federation lies in the strength of its provinces\u2014not in breaking them apart. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mansoor Nizamani The debate over the administrative division of Sindh is continuing with great intensity in the country\u2019s so-called national media. In various television programmes and analyses, Sindh\u2019s existing administrative structure is being presented as the fundamental cause of its problems, while new administrative units are being portrayed as if they were the only solution […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[13872],"class_list":["post-565371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-article","tag-mansoor-nizamani"],"yoast_head":"\n