KARACHI: Calling the Sindh government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ‘biased and suppresser’, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday questioned the recently-notified 26 towns in Karachi and accused the ruling party of ‘conspiring’ against the vote bank of the metropolis by carving out urban areas only on ethnic grounds.

The Sindh government has recently divided the existing seven district municipal corporations in the metropolis into 26 towns with 233 union committees (UCs).

Speaking at a press conference here, MQM-P leaders described the move to divide Karachi into new towns as a true reflection of the feudal mindset of the PPP, which it alleged wanted to keep Karachiites as their ‘peasants’ and ‘serfs’.

The parliamentary leader of the MQM-P, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, along with senior party leaders saw the move as a kind of ‘pre-poll rigging’ to divide the Karachi vote bank on ethnic grounds because the PPP was aware of its “devastating defeat” in urban Sindh if fair local government elections would be held.

“In a massive violation of the local governance system, the PPP government has ignored the ratio of population while dividing Karachi into new towns,” he said.

“In many cases you would see areas which are bigger in population and even in terms of size have not been made town, while small pockets which don’t even meet the criteria for becoming a UC have been designated as towns.”

He said that the MQM-P would challenge the new division of Karachi at every forum including courts.

He reiterated that the MQM-P demanded that the state institutions take notice of the decision of the Sindh government, which had been legalised on the grounds of only numerical majority.

Meanwhile, the MQM-P’s minority wing staged a protest demonstration on main M. A. Jinnah Road against the recently passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Act 2021.

The protest was led by MQM members in the Sindh Assembly. A number of party workers and activists, including women and children, took part in the protest. They were carrying banners and party flags and shouting slogans against the PPP leadership rejecting what they called the ‘black law’.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Hamid uz Zafar said that the people of Karachi and Sindh had been taken hostage by the PPP government for the past more than 13 years.

He warned the rulers of the province to own Karachi and its people otherwise be ready to face the wrath of public anger.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2022