MQM seeks federal govt intervention in Sindh
KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) on Tuesday urged the federal government to “intervene” in Sindh’s affairs and appoint an arbitrator, along with a high-level judicial commission, to examine supposed administrative and security failures, particularly in Karachi.
Addressing a press conference, senior leader MQM-P Dr Farooq Sattar, along with Haider Abbas Rizvi at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, said that Sindh’s current system of governance was “oppressive and feudal” and had pushed the province to the brink of collapse.
He said Karachi, despite being the country’s economic hub, continued to be deprived of its constitutional and administrative rights. He demanded the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the recent Gul Plaza blaze and assess broader governance issues in the province.
“I urge the federal government and the relevant state institutions to intervene in Sindh’s affairs, act as an arbitrator in Karachi’s matters, and constitute a high-level judicial commission to review administrative failures and the worsening law and order situation in the province,” he said.
Dr Sattar expressed grave concern over the withdrawal of security for MQM-P leaders. He said police headquarters had informed the party that security cover had been removed, creating serious risks.
“After media reports, there were claims that some security arrangements would be restored, but the ground reality remains alarming,” he said, warning that if the Sindh government failed to provide security, the ruling ally would demand protection from the Islamabad police.
He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, stating that their efforts had restored the dignity of Pakistan’s green passport and improved the country’s standing at the international level.
“Their hard work and sacrifices should not be undermined by the incompetence of the Sindh government,” he said.
Criticising the PPP leadership, Dr Sattar urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to demonstrate sincerity towards Karachi by ensuring the implementation of Article 140-A of the Constitution, which mandates the devolution of powers to local governments. He said the 18th Constitutional Amendment was meant for all provinces, not for the continuation of “one-family rule”.
Dr Sattar warned that continued neglect of Karachi’s issues could further aggravate the situation in the city.
“We were mocked when we raised Sindh’s concerns earlier, but today the consequences are visible,” he said, adding that it was time for serious and practical decisions rather than political slogans.
The press conference was also attended by MQM-P leaders Shabbir Qaimkhani, Arshad Vohra, as well as members of the National Assembly and Sindh Assembly.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan denied the MQM-P claims about the withdrawal of security for the party leaders and called it “baseless”.
In a statement, he said that no decision has been taken to withdraw security for the MQM-P leaders.
“Both senior leaders of the party, Mustafa Kamal and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, are currently in Islamabad,” he said. “There’s no directive from the government regarding the removal of security from any political figure.”
Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2026
