HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qau­mi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar, addressing an impressive show of his party at Akbari Ground in Latifabad Unit-8 on Friday, demanded due share in revenues for the urban population of Sindh, arguing that this segment had been paying 70 per cent tax to the federal government and 85pc to the provincial administration.

“But in lieu, the urban populace doesn’t get even four per cent from the federal government and eight per cent from the provincial government, respectively,” he said.

Dr Sattar said that every district and taluka of Sindh should be given its due share under provincial resource distribution on the same basis of multiple-indicators’ criteria laid down for the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award distribution. He congratulated party cadre for holding a successful public meeting in this ground, and said that the future belonged to the MQM-P and nobody could snatch it from the party.

The MQM-P managed to hold a successful power show in Hydera­bad after the Aug 22, 2016 episode when it had emerged as a separate entity after splitting from the London-based leadership of the then Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) led by Altaf Hussain. At the peak of the public meeting, the turnout outnumbered the chairs available at the venue.

However, discipline — the hallmark of the MQM organisational structure — seemed missing.

At the fag end of Dr Sattar’s speech, people started leaving the venue to board their transport.

“A certain image of us was created in the past and media trial was conducted to damage our credibility. But now we are overcoming this image problem and our credibility is fast improving,” he told the crowd. He said that the MQM-P comprised those who inherited the legacy of Pakistan Movement. “Damaging us is damaging Pakis­tan and negating the spirit of sacrifices rendered for Pakistan. This will not strengthen Pakistan,” he said.

He urged party workers to maintain discipline and avoid authoritarian behaviour towards others and if this was done, then nobody could deny MQM-P the slot of Sindh chief minister. He said that vote bank of MQM was with the MQM-P though a few people had created an entity for themselves. But, he said, MQM-P would remain united and vibrant.

He urged Sindhi-speaking youths to forge unity with their Urdu-speaking counterparts and together they would make Sindh an educated and prosperous province. Youths of both sides could produce exemplary unity. “Waderas [feudal lords] must understand that the vehicle of Sindh has two wheels — Urdu-speaking and Sindhi-speaking Sindhis — and this vehicle cannot run with one wheel.”

He demanded powers for all mayors and local council representatives. “The tendency of pushing urban population against the wall should be given up and justice be done in terms of employment and admissions to educational institutions.”

The MQM-P chief said that on Aug 22 [2016], he felt everything stood divided but today’s public meeting clearly showed that nothing had changed as such a big gathering had not been organised even during the 2013 elections. He said he had promised to come up with a clean MQM-P and “today it has come up with an improved image”.

Senior deputy convener Amir Khan came down hard on the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leadership for foul-mouthing the MQM-P. He said that those who labelled the MQM-P “a product of china-cutting” did not look at “masters of china-cutting sitting on their right and left”. He remarked that “all main characters of china-cutting are in the PSP and people know the man who used to live in a two-room house at Hali Road, today enjoys luxury of a palace”.

“You [PSP] have descended through parachute from Dubai. But now those who promoted you have refused to recognise you,” he said alluding to Mustafa Kamal and Anis Qaimkhani. He hoped that this public meeting would encourage those workers to return to the MQM-P who were coerced, intimidated and pressured to defect to the PSP.

About defection of Salman Mujahid to the PSP, Mr Khan said he had already been expelled from the MQM-P. He asked the judiciary why it did not call for arresting those who had killed 400 people on the roads and streets of Hyderabad 30 years back.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izharul Hassan said that Sindh was already divided in terms of health, water distribution and education.

He said that the powers that be must put an end to a crackdown on MQM-P representatives and office-bearers.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar also lashed out at the PSP leadership without naming anyone. He said that “he” (alluding to Mustafa Kamal) was in fact a “mistake” of Altaf Hussain and today MQM-P was bearing with it. He claimed that “they” (PSP leaders) followed wrong policies and “filled the graveyards”.

MQM-P deputy convener Kan­war Naveed Jamil, Kamran Tes­sori and Hyderabad Mayor Syed Tay­yab Hussain also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2017