HYDERABAD: Participants in a rally held outside the local press club on Sunday raised slogans for a ‘Mohajir’ province and demanded creation of more administrative units in Sindh and other parts of the country as proposed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain.

They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in support of the Mr Hussain’s proposal and holding of local government elections.

The banners and placards carried the name ‘Civil Society of Hyderabad’ a group believed to be associated with the MQM, as the organiser of the rally.

However, no MQM lawmaker, member of its any coordination committee or a known party leader addressed the rally participants.

Those who spoke to them included Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) member Ziauddin, traders’ leaders Saleem Vohra, Anwar Kundan, Aijaz Naghar, Advocate Imran Qureshi, former Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) official Syed Barkat Ahmed Rizvi and Dr Abida Malkani.

They presented many arguments in support of Mr Hussain’s proposal, and said that creation of more administrative units to run the affairs of the province easily and perfectly had become inevitable.

Slogans for the creation of a ‘Mohajir suba’ were vociferously raised repeatedly during the course of the speeches made on the occasion.

Mr Vohra said those opposing the proposal didn’t want to transfer powers to people at grassroots level.

Advocate Imran Qureshi criticised PTI chief Imran Khan for opposing the proposal and accused him of having adopted double standard.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2014