POLITICAL TURMOIL IN SINDH: FROM PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY TO THE MAKING OF PAKISTAN (1936-1947)

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze Sindh’s political struggle and its
contributions to the creation of Pakistan. This study examines whether the power
struggle in Sindh between 1936 and 1947 strengthened the political autonomy
that the political leadership had long struggled for, or whether the pursuit of
national aspirations undermined it. The political leadership, rather than
focusing on the social and political advancement of the province, consistently
pursued the national priorities of the All-India Muslim League (AIML), the
Indian National Congress (INC), and the British Raj. On the one hand, although
Sindh’s push for Pakistan enhanced its political significance, internal
factionalism led to internal political instability. As a result, the benefits of
autonomy never translated into political and economic development or the
welfare of the people. After independence, Sindh’s political struggle was labelled
as parochialism and regionalism. The article has utilized primary and secondary
sources to evaluate the role of provincial parties and the central leadership of
the AIML in increasing factionalism and political instability.