SINCE Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that the state system has collapsed, the debate over creating new administrative units has gained momentum. What initially appeared to be a question of governance soon turned into a confrontation between political elites and ordinary citizens. In Sindh, the issue carries particular sensitivity because it is connected with memories that have never completely disappeared. First, Sindh has already experienced the One-Unit system, under which its separate provincial identity was absorbed into a larger administrative structure.

The memory of losing their distinct status continues to influence public attitudes toward any proposal that appears to threaten the province’s integrity. Second, the experience of administrative restructuring during General Pervez Musharraf’s regime also remains part of public memory. The devolution framework........

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