Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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PPP plans to make a new city in Sindh to be named Zulfiqarabad. But it is facing stiff opposition from Sindhi nationalists like JSQM.

So what’s the story behind this scheme?
Why did PPP have to come up with a scheme for a new city instead of developing present ones?
Why is there so much opposition?

It looks like a good idea but I am afraid that it will end up like Gwadar.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Its not well documented or well discussed project. Even Sassi Palejo (PPP minister from the area where Zulfiqarabad is planned to be made) agitated against the project on the pretext that stakeholders were not informed properly

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Whats this project, will this be some industrial city in Thatta?

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

PPP and Industry :bizz:

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

What are some of the reservations against this project? I know about one from JSQM. They think that this project will turn Sindhis into minority?! It looks like Sindhi nationalists are afraid of people coming from other provinces. But then everyone is coming to Sindh in large numbers anyway. Just look at the yearly population increase of Karachi. At least 50% of the population growth in Karachi is by people coming from other provinces.

To me it is surprising to see people from Sindh distrusting PPP and demanding more information.

In any case, keeping in view the way we handled Gwadar, I don't have much doubt left that this mega projects will be another failure.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

I personally think this is a good project, but in the country unfortunately there are many forces who want to have the status quo maintained.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

That's what I thought too. But looks like Sindhi nationalists, and even many PPP people like Sussi Palejo, think it as a conspiracy against Sindh.

I read a moment ago about another reservation regarding this project. People think that this new coastal city is being planned to rival Karachi. This looks like a good thing. But they further think that purpose of creating this new city is to clear the coast to make Muhajir Sooba!
To me such a thought is outrageous. I think it is a good project that will bring prosperity to Sindhi speaking people of the province.

It's interesting that everyone dislikes Karachi being the only port but attempts to create new ports are thwarted by people. First we were promised that Gwadar is going to be a port city of future. It never happened.
And now when another such city is being planned in another province BY THE PROVINCE'S OWN REPRESENTATIVES then we are hearing the same conspiracy theories again.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

If the justification of the nationalists against the city is that immigrants from other provinces might come there and convert them into minority, that applies to all cities of sindh then. They wouldn't want any city of sindh to be developed, and then keep on complaining about the poverty of the region.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

I think the approach should be to develop existing cities and incurring expenditure on education and health than to develop a new city which create controversies. Why PPP can’t see the potential in existing cities like Larkana (nearing Moen Jo Daro that may attract tourists), Dadu (area full of resources like Gas and oil), Tharparkar (coal resources). We don’t believe in PPP’s intent for developing a new city, its another avenue for their birth right (corruption). Why don’t they allocate funds for the roads of Karachi and other parts of Sindh. They can’t make a High-way from Karachi to Larkana in their 3 tenures :smack:, how will they make a new city?

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

..there is a conspiracy theory about it , I spoke to a few Sindhi NATIONALIST ...and what I gathered was

they think , there is a sinister plan to divide Sindh and Pakistan by some international players ... they objective is to create a secure coaster belt from ... Gawadar to Run of Kuctch ...including Karachi ...which will assume an Independent Status ..in the perceived grand scheme of thing ....

for the theory is ..its a part of a grand Great game which has been played since centeries ...and in this respect even the creation of Pakistan was according to a grand design...that is to curtail the Then Russia .... but of course things have changed a lot ... Russia gone and all that .... but the need for a Proxy , taking care of the Interests of International Players is still there ... and its only a matter of time ....

and according to him .... whatever is happening in Karachi is because of it ..

NOTE : this may or may not be my view of things...but this is what i gathered after talking to him ...

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

^ This is exactly what I have gathered after browsing through various Sindhi articles on internet. Conspiracy theories. And it looks like great deal of people do believe in such theories. Like I said earlier, what is surprising is that such theories are espoused WHILE the government both at the center and at the province is that of PPP itself. Imagine what the reaction would have been if such a development scheme was started by Nawaz Sharif or Musharraf or Imran Khan. JSQM probably would have taken out axes from its flag and would have started using it.

It also looks like that most Sindhi speaking people do not trust Zardari as such. Fingers have been pointing towards him for starting such a "sinister" scheme against Sindhis.
This mistrust may be arising from Zardari's approach of working with MQM.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

That’s true. And this conspiracy theory about Sindhis becoming minority due to this project, is immediately debunked by what you just said.

But JSQM et al would continue to spread such rumors among common people. And many will fall for it. That’s why PPP is trying to do damage control about it:

Zulfikarabad project: Legislation to avoid demographic change promised | DAWN.COM
Zulfikarabad project: Legislation to avoid demographic change promised
From the Newspaper | Habib Khan Ghori | 11th July, 2012
KARACHI, July 10: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday sought to remove misgivings about the proposed port city project of Zulfikarabad that it would turn the locals of Thatta into a minority due to the influx of people from other parts of the country when he declared that necessary legislation would be done to ensure that only the locals retain property ownership rights.On the pattern of other countries where non-locals coming to contribute towards development schemes were issued specific cards, which did not give them right to own property there, the laws related to the proposed port city project would be amended, said the president…

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

You know what, if I were responsible for decision making then I also would have said the same thing. Why spend billions of rupees on creating a new city when we can improve the current cities with much less of the cost.
Instead of creating new industrial city, it would be more economical and practical to make industrial estates around the existing major cities. Similar to Nooriabad.

But I don’t think corruption is the only reason PPP is developing this city. Because they could do this birth-right very effectively even by developing current cities as well.

About highway from Karachi to Larkana. It is sad to see current infrastructure in the province. And it is true that PPP should spend more time developing current cities in Sindh than to save mangroves through Zulfikarabad.

So why is PPP developing it? I don’t know. May be the intensions are good but the plan is bad. Similar to Shahbaz Sharif’s schemes like Sasti Roti, Peeli cab, and laptops.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

We will see what happens if the government sets up economic parks in other cities as well, if the economy picks up wouldnt that dent the nationalists cause? After all they strive on neglect and poverty, what would happen to their political clout in case of development?

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Instead of creating economic zones, the PPP government better focus on eliminating POWER CRISIS in the country first. There already are industries all across the country which are closing due to lack of power. So what good would be those economic zones when they won't be able to run the factories anyway?

If the first brick is put skewed then the whole building will fall down sooner or later. Power is the most basics of necessities for development.

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But don’t you think that announcing such projects near election give an indication that PPP is playing another game to be in power. When they didn’t deliver in 5 years, how can we expect seriousness about developing new projects in future. Let me give you a simple example. There is a place called Gorakh in District Dadu (the only place in Sindh where snow falls). All the PPP governments promised people to develop the hill station for promoting tourism there, but todate no proper action taken place. Its not that big project as Zulfiqarabad seems, but when there is no will, there is no way. They just win votes on the name of so called shuhuda :bummer: performance :nook:

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Height of insecurity,

Building new city is sign of development, what is the problem with that... turning into minority??? what they have achieved with their majority in last 200 years???

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Though, I personally believe in free movement.. Pakistan belongs to all the Pakistanis. But over the period, huge migration in Sindh created a sense of deprivation in local people and its not just mere insecurity.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

It is not migration, but inequitable distribution of development work. Instead of developing several cities and towns around Sindh, they have concentrated on Karachi only. Since Saeeen always has a banglow and another wife in Karachi as well, it doesn't matter to him. You see people from all over Sindh and Pakistan migrating to Karachi. This phenomenon is much less pronounced in Punjab where differences in development among Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan etc are not severe. Hyderabad, on the other hand, is 50 years behind Karachi in terms of development.

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Re: Zulfiqarabad: PPP vs Sindhi nationalists

Issi baat ka to rona hai.. why not they develop existing cities instead of going for new cities. What if Zulfiqarabad become next Karachi.. crowded and unplanned?