HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that the option of not voting for the 26th constitutional amendment is open to his party if quota system is extended.

He, along with Anis Kaimkhani, was speaking to the media here on Thursday at Bagh-i-Mustafa Ground in Latifabad where the party has scheduled its youth convention for Friday (today).

“We are free to take our decision on the [26th] constitutional amendment. Only after a consultation, a decision can be taken. But, yes! the option of not voting for it is open to us if quota system is extended,” he told a questioner.

Dr Siddiqui said that the Muttahida had contributed a lot, rather more than its due share, to end the gulf between rural and urban populations in Sindh. Probably, he added, the class background of either side’s leadership makes real difference. One side is represented by middle or lower-middle class leadership, while the other is benefited from dynastic politics and feudal democracy, which has unfortunately been Pakistan’s destiny.

He said that MQM-P was made to lose in the 2018 general elections but it reclaimed its mandate in the Feb 2024 elections.

In reply to a question that MQM seems to be emerging as a ‘pro-establishment party’, Dr Siddiqui said his party had always been a ‘pro-democracy’ but not ‘anti-establishment’ party. He said Pakistan’s present crisis was the offshoot of the 2018 elections. “MQM won back its mandate that had been snatched from it in the 2018 elections,” he added.

“MQM stands united and organized, but it may keep facing problems,” he apprehended. “Previously, people had been dubbing us as a ‘product of martial law’ without realising the fact that one having been born in the era of jabar [tyranny] or in the lap of tyranny are two different phenomena. We have never spoken against establishment, but one can describe us anti-establishment after seeing MQM’s independent views.”

He wondered why MQM would be anti-establishment. “MQM is an ‘anti-system’ entity, not ‘anti-establishment’.

The Muttahida chairman said that his party had discussed Article 140-A regarding local government issue and now it was a decision of Supreme Court. He said this amendment could be taken up along with the proposed 26th amendment or separately as well. “PML-N and MQM-P are ready, and other parties are also in contact,” he said.

Dr Siddiqui claimed that his party had gained much since the Aug 2016 episode and attributed this gain to the results of the digital census which was something the old MQM could not achieve. He said a university was being set up in Hyderabad, besides Mirpurkhas, whereas Karachi would have 10 to 12 campuses as well.

Youth convention

Speaking about the youth convention, the MQM-P chairman said that holding the event was the need of the hour to groom future leaders and send them to elected houses in future.

He observed that the changing world had changed everything. “MQM-P will achieve a milestone in tomorrow’s youth convention,” he confidently said, and added that engaging youth was mandatory as they constituted 65pc of the country’s population. This number is equivalent to the population of 200 different countries’ total population. He said that youth, irrespective of religious or social affiliation, could attend this convention. “MQM-P introduced new leadership and the party plans to leave space for them in elected houses in the next elections,” said Dr Siddiqui.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2024