MQM-P explains why it insists on more administrative units in Sindh
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HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Monday reiterated its stance on creating more administrative units in Sindh, explaining that it was demanding the arrangement in order to ensure development and progress of all communities living in the province.
Speaking at a press conference at the local press club along with many other senior party leaders, MQM-P’s parliamentary party leader in the Sindh Assembly Kanwar Naveed Jamil said that his party never disliked Sindh, its culture and its people. “We firmly believe that Sindh is a land of rich culture while our party’s grievance is against the biased government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that seeks to deny Urdu-speaking people their due share in jobs and development. PPP is not serving Sindhi-speaking people either.”
Mr Jamil, who is also the party’s deputy convener, was accompanied by MPAs Rashid Khilji, Nadeem Siddiqui and Nasir Qureshi, acting Hyderabad Mayor Sohail Mashhadi, Masood Mahmood, Zafar Siddiqui, Rashid Khan and senior party leaders.
PPP and private firm accused of stomaching Sindh’s Rs2,000bn, always stirring ethnic tension
Mr Jamil said that PPP’s “atrocities” against the people of Hyderabad continued unendingly.
He showed stacks of files to media personnel and said the files pertained to 5,000 jobs that had been earmarked for Hyderabad, but not a single resident of Hyderabad and Qasimabad was recruited. He said these jobs were available in different departments and the files contained full particulars of candidates including their CNIC numbers, places and departments.
Likewise, he said, in Karachi not a single resident of that city was appointed there as jobs were doled out to other people.
Regretfully, he added, the jobs were sold in 75 per cent of cases. He said that it was a fit case for National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The MQM-P leader said that 10 years down the road, the PPP government had not executed a single development scheme for Hyderabad which had been capital of Sindh for years.
He said it showed PPP’s biased attitude, adding that no college or hospital was built whereas billions of rupees were spent by Sindh government otherwise.
Mr Jamil observed that whenever PPP formed its government ethnic tension was seen, be it the government of [PPP founder chairman] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto or his daughter Benazir Bhutto. Recalling the Pucca Qila operation of May 1990, he said that police tried to invade it during Benazir Bhutto’s government. The then MQM health minister got a medical college approved for Hyderabad in the PPP-MQM coalition but the project remained incomplete to date.
He complained that it was not the issue of funds or seriousness but “parochial approach”. He said that even Benazir Bhutto flyover which he had started as the district nazim remained incomplete to date because it passed through the midst of Hyderabad to connect National Highway with the bypass.
Mr Jamil pointed out that the trauma centre here was built in the district government period but its equipment was shifted.
Insisting that MQM loved Sindh, its people and its culture, he said it was he who had built a monument of Housh Mohammad Sheedi. Had a sculpture not been forbidden in Islam, he would have built the same as well, he said. However, he added, PPP even sold the land where Housh Mohammad Sheedi had fought a battle against the British in Dubbo.
He pointed out that a private housing scheme was launched where this battle was fought. “The place should have been preserved as a heritage site; Sheedi’s mausoleum could hardly be saved on a private land by diverting road,” he said.
The senior MQM-P leader also noted that four sewerage treatment plants were built but they remained dysfunctional. “Hyderabad city doesn’t get water from Phuleli Canal for its residents but a treatment plant was built there to keep the canal contamination-free and provide clean water to the people of Badin and Tando Mohammad Khan.”
He alleged that Rs2,000bn belonging to Sindh was stomached by chief ministers, ministers and Omni Group.
He noted that those who talked about the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award were not able to utilise the funds released to their ministries.
He said that it was because of MQM that NFC Award was not announced during the Musharraf government without its due settlement.
He accused PPP government of selling wheat stocks worth Rs11bn. He also alleged that heritage buildings of Hyderabad had been destroyed for their [PPP leaders’] personal greed and construction-related interests.
Mr Jamil said that Urdu-speaking people had been tolerating “injustices” for 70 years and had been made to live like slaves. He said that MQM had hugged [PPP co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari when he approached the party and in return MQM delegation offered fateha on the grave of [former chief minister] Syed Abdullah Shah, the father of incumbent Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, as a goodwill gesture.
He said PPP always heightened ethnic tension otherwise people like Ghaus Ali Shah, Muzaffar Shah, Jam Sadiq and Arbab Ghulam Rahim also served as chief ministers in Sindh.
He said that MQM-P believed in integrity of Sindh but conditions of cities — be it Thatta, Jamshoro or Karachi — were worsening.
He said MQM-P raised the demand for creation of administrative units in Sindh for certain reasons. He said that the administrative side of Sindh could be headed by Sindhi-, Pakhtun-, Balochi- or Punjabi-speaking people.
Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2019
