he One-Unit scheme sought to render irrelevant the provincial boundaries in what was then West Pakistan. Many Sindhi nationalist and leftist groups that had supported the idea of Pakistan saw it as a setback. The narrative surrounding Pakistan’s creation remains a topic of significant debate. Both Sindhi nationalists and left-leaning factions argue that Sindh voluntarily joined the new country. The Sindh Assembly was the first to pass a resolution in favour of Pakistan (in 1943). The Lahore Resolution of March 1940 had promised autonomy to the provinces, a principle endorsed by Sindh’s political leaders, including Ghulam Murtaza Syed.

However, the dynamics shifted after independence. Despite opposition by a majority of the assembly members, Karachi was designated as the capital of Pakistan. The opposition was overruled. The influx of Urdu-speaking Muhajirs triggered ethnic tensions. The imposition of the One-Unit scheme in 1955 further fanned the Sindhi nationalist sentiment. There was widespread resistance to the scheme in Sindh, resulting in protest movements organisaed by students, teachers, public intellectuals, Sindhi nationalists and some left-leaning groups.

The implementation of the One-Unit system presented administrative challenges not only for Sindh but also for other provinces. Mir Ghaus Buksh Bizenjo, a Baloch nationalist, later argued that the One-Unit system laid the groundwork for the secession of East Bengal from Pakistan. He contended that the process leading to East Pakistan’s secession began with the introduction of the East-West parity formula and the establishment of the One Unit in West Pakistan. Wary of Bengal’s numerical majority, the ruling elites in West Pakistan sought to safeguard their selfish interests.

Key figures in the creation of the One-Unit included Governor General Malik Ghulam Muhammad and influential political leaders from the Punjab, such as Mumtaz Muhammad Doultana. Iskander Mirza and Ayub Khan, too, supported those advocating for the initiative. However, the imposition of the One-Unit plan without consulting the provincial assemblies was impractical. Therefore, on December 11, 1954, resolutions endorsing the plan were passed by the assemblies of the Punjab, Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province

In Sindh, Chief Minister Abdul Sattar Pirzada initially made a statement opposing the One Unit scheme that was endorsed by 74 out of 110 members of the Sindh Assembly. However, he was soon dismissed and replaced by Muhammad Ayub Khuhro. Khuhro, who had opposed the separation of Karachi from Sindh in 1948, now advocated the One Unit scheme. It was apparently on account of his support for One-Unit that he was appointed chief minister. On October 14, 1955, the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan too passed a resolution in favour of the plan, leading to the establishment of West Pakistan.

The implementation of the One-Unit system presented challenges not only for Sindh but also for other provinces. The power brokers and ruling elites, wary of Bengal’s numerical majority, sought to safeguard the interests of West Pakistan’s ruling elite.

There was a general perception that the One Unit scheme resulted in significant losses for Sindh and its people, including the distribution of canal-irrigated land. The construction of the Kotri Barrage in 1955-56 increased the cultivable land area by more than 1.5 million acres. However, the Land Utilisation Committee formed in June 1958 lacked adequate Sindhi representation. This resulted in much of the land being allocated to non-Sindhis. This pattern continued with the construction of Guddu Barrage in 1962 as only about 10 percent of the land in its canal colonies was allocated o Sindhis.

The Sindh Anti-One Unit Front was established in a convention held on October 29-30, 1955, in Karachi. It featured notable leaders such as Sheikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi, GM Syed, Hyder Bux Jatoi, Abdul Hameed Jatoi, Qazi Faiz Muhammad and Ghulam Mustafa Bhurgri. Hyder Bux Jatoi, already a prominent leftist leader, was elected its secretary. In addition to the political leaders, members of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat (Sindhi Literary Front) were actively involved in the Anti-One Unit Movement.

The Anti-One Unit movement in Sindh was also popular among Sindhi students, who played a pivotal role in several initiatives aimed at opposing the One-Unit. Among these, the Hyderabad Student Federation emerged as the foremost organization. It impacted major political movements, particularly the famous student uprising of March 4, 1967. The Sindh National Students Federation, under the leadership of Jam Saqi, built on its legacy.

Efforts to launch student movements had faced various faced challenges and failed to sustain momentum until March 4,1967. Once the turning point was reached, middle- and lower-class leftist and Sindhi nationalist students took over its leadership. This shift led to greater popularity for the movement and heightened the political awareness among students as well as the broader populace of Sindh.

The introduction of the One-Unit scheme proved detrimental to the provincial governments. Major political forces in Pakistan, such as the Pakistan National Party and the National Awami Party, opposed the One-Unit scheme. The people of Sindh suffered significant economic and political setbacks. These developments galvanised the Sindhi political leaders, students and intellectuals to organise resistance against the One-Unit plan. The abolition of One-Unit scheme was announced in 1970.

The writer is an assistant professor and chairman of the Department of History and Pakistan Studies at Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design and Heritage, Sukkur. He can be reached at qasim_shu2016@yahoo.com