KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan has once again sought federal government’s intervention in Sindh, saying that the prime minister can exercise his authority under Article 149 of the Constitution if a province deliberately targets a segment of society in violation of the Constitution.

Senior MQM-P leaders made this demand while speaking at a demonstration organised by the party outside the Karachi Press Club on Monday in protest over a severe water crisis in the metropolis. One of the speakers went as far as to say that Sindh would be “ruined” if the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government continue to rule over the province.

It is not the first time that the MQM-P has asked the PM to exercise the federal government’s power under Article 149 (directions to provinces in certain cases) of the Constitution.

Earlier, Federal Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem, an MQM-P senator, hinted that the federal government can intervene in the provincial affairs under the said constitutional clause. Then on April 13, senior party leaders held a press conference and demanded federal government’s intervention in Sindh.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says city’s people forced to ‘beg’ for water

A large number of MQM-P workers, including women, reached the KPC to participate in the protest. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with demands like ‘Give water to Karachi’, etc, and shouted anti-government slogans.

Addressing the protesters, MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that despite the fact that Karachi contributed 70 per cent of the total revenue of the federal government and 92pc of Sindh’s revenue, its citizens were still “begging” for water.

He said that the Greater Karachi Water Supply project, known as K-IV, was to be completed in 2011, but the “corrupt” government in Sindh did not complete it on time and now its cost had increased manifold.

He said that a petition filed by the MQM regarding implementation of Article 140-A of the Constitution was still pending before the Supreme Court and the problem of water in Karachi could be solved if the apex court gave its decision on it.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar claimed that the PPP government in Sindh did not even give Karachi 10 buses in its 11-year-rule.

“I am the elected mayor of Karachi and I have the city’s mandate. I appeal to the president and prime minister to solve the problems of the people of Karachi. I have no hope with the Sindh government and the PPP,” he said, adding: “Sindh would be ruined if PPP government continues.”

He also wanted the federal government to exercise Article 149 of the Constitution.

He said that he had evidence that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was being ignored intentionally and it was not given funds, affecting the payment of salaries to its employees.

He warned that protests would spread across the whole city if problems were not solved soon.

MQM-P lawmaker and senior leader Khwaja Izharul Hasan said that the PPP had provided 300,000 jobs without any merit but whenever MQM-P demanded water for the people of Karachi, the ruling party started “targeting” the city’s youths employed in water board or other municipal organisations.

He said that the local government minister had failed to improve the water board despite the fact that his party controlled the utility for the past one decade.

Senior MQM leaders Kanwar Naveed, Nasreen Jalil, Karachi Deputy Mayor Arshad Hasan and others were also present.

Later, the participants of the demonstration dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2019