HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement coordination committee’s deputy convener Wasim Akhtar has warned coalition partners to take his party’s fears over local bodies election seriously lest they too may have to pack up and go like Imran Khan’s government, which MQM sent packing.

“We may take a final decision and then we fear you may also have to face the same fate as Imran Khan,” he said issuing a veiled threat to PDM coalition while addressing a protest rally organised by the party outside local press club against delimitations on Tuesday.

He urged prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to take MQM’s concerns seriously and accused PPP of stabbing the party in the back like it did in the past. MQM was only waiting for Asif Ali Zardari’s answer over delimitations, he said.

He regretted that MQM was holding protests time and again and had also moved Supreme Court over local bodies’ law but the Sindh government had not fulfilled even a single promise. Imran too did not pay any heed to MQM’s issues, he said.

Says the PDM govt may have to face the same fate as Imran’s

He said that PTI had stolen 14 seats of MQM but the party managed to retain seven of its seats.

Akhtar said that Zardari had said he wanted working relationship with MQM and that he did not want his son to wrangle with MQM over issues. MQM did not know it was being deceived because MQM also wanted a working relationship, he said.

He said that when MQM took up the matter with Asif Zardari he sought two to three days to sort it out. “We are waiting for Asif Zardari’s reply,” he said.

He said that MQM was not afraid of contesting LG polls and added it was ready to participate in Jan 15 election. The LG governments’ tenure ended in August last year but PPP government didn’t hold polls and instead indulged in pre-poll rigging through delimitations in order to get its mayor elected in Karachi and Hyderabad, he said.

He said that Islamabad’s delimitations were done in just one night. When MQM pointed out anomalies Sindh government accepted but did not rectify them.

He urged MQM supporters to come out and vote for MQM on Jan 15 because it was question of their survival. He pointed out that PPP was enjoying 10 ministries in federal government only because of MQM’s seven votes in favour of no trust motion against then prime minister last year.

He said that MQM supported no confidence motion with seven votes in larger interests of Mohajirs but PPP stabbed MQM in the back like it did in the past. “The same option is available to MQM and coordination committee is weighing this option,” he disclosed.

He said that Zardari was known for honouring his commitments but he had not yet fulfilled his promise with MQM so far. “We can take a decision and we fear the way Imran Khan government was sent packing you also may face the same fate,” he said alluding to MQM’s option of quitting this coalition which was formed with thin majority last year.

He asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take things seriously because it was a matter of life and death for Mohajirs. Sharif must realize that he became prime minister due to MQM’s seven votes, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2023