KARACHI: Marred by internal squabbles and a power struggle between its two groups, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan said on Friday that from now on it would take what it called concrete measures for the solution of the problems of Karachi and to serve its people.

Divided into the PIB and Bahadurabad factions, the MQM-P is facing a crippling organisational crisis for the past 50 days and it is no more focussed on the city’s development and solution to the people’s problems despite having its elected mayor as well as dozens of federal and provincial lawmakers.

A day before, Dr Farooq Sattar of the PIB group visited the party’s temporary headquarters — being controlled by the Bahadurabad group — after 49 days and held a meeting with his rivals in a bid to iron out their differences.

Khalid Maqbool requests CJP to take suo motu notice of Karachi’s miseries

In his media talk, he said that both the groups were well aware of the fact that people were disappointed with their infighting and they were sorry about it.

On Friday, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the convener of the Bahadurabad group, told a press conference that he and his colleagues were happy that Dr Sattar had visited the head office on Thursday night and that all matters would be resolved through dialogue.

He said that since Feb 5 — the day when differences within the MQM came to the fore — the MQM was facing organisational problems but now it was ready to raise numerous public issues and to find their solutions.

“Peace has returned to Karachi because of the efforts of the chief justice of Pakistan and the army chief, but it would not last if justice is not done,” he said, while pointing out many issues Karachi was facing since long.

Delimitation aims at dividing Karachi

He said that the whole world, including experts and former president Asif Zardari, agreed that the population of Karachi was around 30 million, but it was intentionally shown less in the census.

He said that the delimitation of constituencies on the basis of the ‘unjustified’ census figures was carried out only to deprive Karachi of its due share of electoral seats.

“The current delimitation does not reflect the true representation of Karachi.”

He said that the Election Commission performed the delimitation of constituencies in Karachi only to divide the metropolis and its people and not to facilitate the voters.

“We have never talked about creation of more provinces on ethnic lines,” he said, adding that Pakistan was heading towards a place where more parties like the MQM would be formed.

Dr Siddiqui, who is a member of the National Assembly from Hyderabad, said Karachi contributed over 70 per cent revenue to the national exchequer, but instead of getting its due share the resources of the city were being looted.

“We are equal partners and are as patriotic as residents of other cities, but we are being taxed extraordinarily [not at par with the people of other parts of the country] and not being given resources with the proportion of our share in the national economy.”

He warned of protests if Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur were not given their due rights.

“There is a limit to everything,” he said, maintaining that if his party’s voice was not heard in parliament now, the MQM would exercise its constitutional right to hold protests.

The MQM-P leader said that his party had high hopes with the country’s judicial system and it filed many public importance petitions, many of which had been put on the back burner.

He requested CJP Mian Saqib Nisar to take suo motu notice of the neglected city which contributed over 70pc to the national economy.

He said that Karachi was facing serious water and electricity crisis and the MQM would soon announce its future course of action to deal with these critical issues.

Sattar, Kamal meeting

Dr Sattar and Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Mustafa Kamal met at Karachi airport before boarding a Dubai-bound commercial flight.

They travelled in the same flight, but sources said Mr Kamal was going to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, while Dr Sattar went to Dubai on a one-day visit.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2018