Sindh Minister Sardar Ali Shah has sparked a fresh controversy after suggesting that Pakistan could lay claim to Indian states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana. His remarks came in response to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent statement asserting that Sindh could one day return to India.
Speaking in the Sindh Assembly, Shah cited ancient civilisational links while ironically conceding that Sindh finds mention in the Rig Veda — a foundational Hindu scripture.
“Sindh is a reality. It dates back 6,000 years. The world’s first book, the Rig Veda, was written on the banks of the Sindhu River. The term ‘Sapta Sindhu’ is used in the Rig Veda, which became the foundation of the Hindu religion,” Shah said. “Persians began calling Sindhu as Hindu — it is actually Sindhu religion. It’s not Hindustan, but Sindhustan.”
He further referred to Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India, claiming the name India is derived from the Indus — or Sindhu — River.
Shah argued that several archaeological sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation are today located inside India.
“Today’s Pakistan is from Kashmir to Keti Bandar. But some parts are broken,” he stated. “Dholavira and Lothal in Gujarat, Kali Bangan in Rajasthan and Rakhigarhi in Haryana are Indus Valley sites. If that is true, then we can stake claim on Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana. They should be given to us.”
Rajnath Singh’s remarks triggered debate
The comments follow Rajnath Singh’s statement on November 23, where he suggested that Sindh — which went to Pakistan during the 1947 Partition — could one day reunite with India.
Addressing an event in New Delhi, Singh said that Sindh remains part of India’s civilisational consciousness despite current political borders.
“Sindh may not be with us geographically, but civilisationally it has always been a part of India,” he said, adding, “Borders have changed throughout history… Who knows, one day Sindh may come back to India.”
The Defence Minister recalled the emotional disconnect many Sindhi Hindus still feel after displacement during Partition, referencing senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani’s writings. He also pointed to the shared reverence for the Indus River across communities before 1947.
Singh had made similar remarks on September 22 in Morocco, predicting that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would eventually merge with India “without military confrontation,” citing growing resentment among the population there.
