HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that if Chief Justice of Pakistan wishes to meet political leaders to ensure speedy justice to masses then he is for such a huddle but if it is politically motivated then he will rather avoid it.

He said at opening ceremony for a free medical camp organised by party’s welfare arm, Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation (KKF), and later in his press talk on Saturday evening that no invitation had been received so far to CJP’s meeting. Provinces had been created in colonial era along ethnic lines and now they should be reshaped on the basis of population, he said.

He said that funds were never withheld by Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime. Although they were not satisfied with the size of the funds the amount was efficiently utilised in Karachi and Karachi witnessed exemplary development.

Siddiqui said that democracy the world over meant powers would be devolved to those having mandate in a certain area. In Karachi, he said, those who had never won people’s mandate over past 50 years were having 100pc mandate for last 17 years.

He informed that despite all resources and authority there was no difference between cities and villages. The Planning Commission had released a report a fortnight back that disclosed Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded decline in poverty over last 10 years but the same had increased in Sindh. The report had exposed all claims of the provincial government, he said.

He noted that three campuses of federal universities had been opened in Karachi although no agreement was signed to this effect with federal government. One campus would be established in Mirpurkhas well and by the end of this year around 15 campuses of federal universities would be opened in Karachi alone, he said.

He said that MQM did sign pacts with federal governments but they did not materialise fully in letter and spirit.

He said that after the 18th Amendment all development works were devolved to provinces in education and health sectors. MQM had got development works done in streets out of MNA’s funds, he said.

About new administrative units, he said that provinces were administrative units like divisions and districts. Present provinces were created by British government on ethnic lines, they should be reshaped on the basis of population, he said.

Siddiqui paid tribute to KKF for its long journey of serving the downtrodden. As many as 125 children had undergone surgical procedures in two days at the KKF’s medical camp and many children belonged to rural areas, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2025