HYDERABAD: Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement-Pak­i­s­tan on Friday demanded handing over of 20 per cent of the departments controlled by the provincial government to the district and local governments.

MQM-P convener Dr Kha­lid Maqbool Siddiqui, speaking at a public meeting of the party in the Liaquat Colony ground, urged the federal government to introduce an amen­d­ment to the Constitu­tion to strengthen the local government (LG) system in line with the requirement of Article 140-A.

He lambasted the Pakis­tan Peoples Party (PPP) for “deceiving” the masses in the name of the 18th Consti­tutional Amendment. The amen­dment, in fact, led to “accumulation of powers” instead of “devolution of powers”, he observed.

He, however, made it clear that his party still stood for provincial autonomy, which would remain its principal demand. He said that provincial autonomy was necessary for the country’s stability but what was important was empowerment of people in the shape of the local government system.

Grand show in Hyderabad demands stronger LGs, powers for urban centres

The MQM-P’s public meeting appeared to be the first after the July 25 general elections and expulsion of Dr Farooq Sattar from the party.

“The government of racist PPP snatched whatever powers rested with LGs in the [former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf’s devolution system. MQM-P is ready to offer sacrifices for the country’s stability but it wants powers for Sindh’s urban centres,” said Mr Siddiqui.

He said that in its written agreement [with the PTI government at the Centre], MQM-P leadership did not demand anything for itself; it was an agreement for democracy and stability in Pakistan.

Referring to Dr Sattar’s assertion that he wanted to make the party the “MQM of 1986”, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the party was founded in 1984 and those who wanted it to become MQM of 1986 and 1988 should come and sit among the crowd.

He said it was an organisation that would elevate the workers sitting in the crowd; it would be they who would sit on the stage while leaders would sit on the ground.

He said this public meeting would silence all critics and opponents of the party; this would also shut all doors of conspiracy against the party. “This public meeting must have [given] goose pimples [to] some opponents who are busy in intrigues against us,” he remarked.

Mr Siddiqui said that urban centres continued to contribute to the national exchequer while others had been stomaching unendingly. He recalled that one PPP minister had vowed to became an “iron wall’ against MQM’s plans for the establishment of a university in Hyderabad.

“But this wall has caved in and now more than one university will be set up here,” he said.

MQM-P deputy convener Kanwar Naveed Jamil presented resolutions at the public meeting which dem­an­ded arrest of the assassins of former MNA Ali Raza Abidi; powers for the Hyderabad mayor; and a suitable development package for Karachi.

Khawaja Izhar reminded MQM-P’s critics not to ask Mohajirs to become Pakis­tanis. He said that no other party would have survived what this party had to bear with. “We were Pakistanis even before it was created ... we are not among those who had listened [to] it next morning on the radio that Pakistan has come into being,” he said.

He asked the PTI leadership to implement all points of the accord signed with the MQM-P for joining the coalition.

Faisal Sabzwari said that the issue of Muttahida’s 150 missing persons was in fact a social issue of Pakistan as they were citizens of this country.

He argued that when Baloch insurgents surrendered weapons and were treated well, and when Ehsanullah Ehsan and Sufi Mohammad were forgiven, then what was the fault of these “missing persons”.

“By raising the ‘Jeay Mohajir’ slogan, we don’t forego our right of being Pakistanis,” he said.

MNA Salahuddin, acting mayor Sohail Mashhadi, district organiser Zafar Siddiqui and MPA Rana Ansar also spoke.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2019