HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan coordination committee member Khawaja Izharul Hassan has said that his party had not taken responsibility to ‘foster’ Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. It remained part of this ‘forced marriage’ for three and a half years and finally separated after payment of ‘meher’, he added sarcastically.

PTI would be paid in the same coin for accusations and use of uncivilised language against the party, he said while speaking at an Iftar dinner hosted by All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation in Latifabad on Wednesday evening.

He warned PTI leadership to be careful in its tone for MQM-P, which was completely independent in taking its decisions though PTI did not like anyone after ouster of its government. Imran had better form his government on moon because he had nothing to do with earth, he said in a sarcastic tone.

He said that no one could do away with MQM-P which was not only a political but an ideological party. MQM-P’s seven senators, 24 MNAs and 51 MPAs were not needed by anyone in past but now its seven MNAs were sought after by entire Pakistan, he said.

He said that MQM-P had formed an alliance with PTI after its agreement on a 13-point charter which the party never implemented despite repeated protests by MQM-P. The party faced criticism for having been part of PTI’s government as an ally but it remained part of the government despite public pressure though it could have helped oust this government a year before, he said.

Hassan said that MQM-P wanted PTI to complete its term but it went back on all the promises made during elections and they did not know how to run the government. The prime minister kept taking U-turns and when no-confidence motion was tabled against PTI government MQM-P stood by it for some time and made the decision to quit the coalition only after PTI’s own 17 parliamentarians went over to opposition, he said.

MQM-P was not in haste to topple this government and waited sufficiently before separating from it in an honest manner, he said.

He said that entire Pakistan’s leadership had signed charter of Karachi which contained the same demands which MQM-P had presented before PTI. The issue of Hyderabad university had been finalised while a new university would be established in Karachi, he said.

He said that it had hurt PTI why MQM-P had accepted ministry in the present setup although Imran’s government was constitutionally ousted. He wondered why Sheikh Rashid was now asking army to bring Imran back. If army had remained impartial then Sheikh Rashid should have supported it, he said.

He said that ever since Imran Khan had been ousted he was maligning judiciary, state institutions and his own colleagues.

He believed if census was held transparently, MQM-P would bag more seats and could even get its chief minister elected. MQM-P faced threats in 2013 elections from Taliban and 14 of its National Assembly seats were snatched in 2018 election, he said.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2022