HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) deputy convener Anis Kaimkhani has said that for the slot of prime minister, his party will favour only a candidate who pledges an amendment, drafted by the party, to the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The draft amendment defined and safeguarded authority of local government (LG) institutions, he said, adding that the draft would be made public soon.

He was addressing a gathering of party workers on Friday at Bhai Khan Ki Chari, where MQM-P’s election office was inaugurated.

Contesting election today is extremely difficult for a middle-class person, who cannot even think of it, he said, and added that the MQM-P, however, enabled and encouraged its ordinary workers to contest in election.

He told the audience that the party had set up a parliamentary board in Karachi to interview aspirants. “MQM-P will win all four Sindh Assembly and two National Assembly seats of Hyderabad in the upcoming general elections,” he believed.

Kaimkhani explained the proposed amendment by arguing that like a prime minister and chief minister, who knew about their powers and authority, a mayor should also know about his powers and authority which must be defined in the Constitution. Through the proposed amendment, MQM-P wants that authority of LG institutions and mayor should be defined and safeguarded.

“It is only the mayor who doesn’t know his powers or authority,” he said, adding that MQM-P represented cities like Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Nawabshah.

“After the 18th Amendment, mayors get nothing … PM and CMs have monetary powers but city fathers don’t get anything … we want that the departments where mayors exercise their authority should be clearly defined in the Constitution … we also want that LG elections are held before general elections at all cost,” he said.

Kaimkhani pointed out that Rs1,000bn remained at the disposal of CM who would disburse the fund in Larkana or Dadu at will. “This cannot continue anymore,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2023