KARACHI: Rival parties of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) reacted strongly to its agreement with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, calling it a “partnership of opportunists”, which would deliver nothing to people of Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

In a statement, Jamaat-i-Islami-Sindh chief Muhammad Hussain Mehanti said that the two parties had history of bloodshed and violence, mainly in Karachi, and their agreement was announcement of return of the same rule in the city.

“It’s so unfortunate that how the political parties for their short-term gains and vested interests of their leaders, fall to such level, leaving behind their ideology and commitment with their voters and supporters. We are concerned over this agreement as this could lead another legalisation of all crimes in Karachi, which the two parties had done during their partnership between 2008 and 2013,” he said.

JI, PSP and PTI say both the parties have done nothing for Karachi

PSP

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chairman Mustafa Kamal called the MQM-P and PPP partnership “an agreement to sell Mohajirs”.

He termed MQM-P leaders Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Amir Khan “killers of Mohajirs” and claimed that their move to strike a deal with the PPP was nothing but a charter to ratify their personal vested interests.

“If our state institutions have branded some workers as agent of India’s RAW intelligence agency, then how those leaders who distracted these poor and innocent workers are allowed to move freely and become leaders to sign an agreement on behalf of millions of Mohajirs,” he said.

He asked the state powers to release all those held workers of the MQM who had been declared RAW agents when they could not arrest those who convinced these “poor and innocent youngsters” for such jobs.

This agreement, he said, would further allow the MQM-P to exploit the Karachi youths.

PTI

The parliamentary party leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the Sindh Assembly, Khurram Sher Zaman also criticised the two parties and wondered as to how the MQM had accepted the partnership of the party which it often dubbed as “murderer” of its workers.

“The MQM should also answer how it feels after sharing the stage with the PPP and trusting on it. The MQM should also let people know that its workers went missing in the era of the PML-N government. It’s so unfortunate that the MQM is again found among these two parties which have always betrayed it,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2022