• Khalid Maqbool reminds PM Shehbaz of April 2022 agreement
• Says party only wants empowerment of people at grassroots level

KARACHI: Demanding 28th Constitutional Amendment with greater intensity than ever before to empower the local government system across the country, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to “answer the nation” on the issue so the MQM-P can make a “final decision” regarding its alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government at the centre.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, the top MQM-P leadership came up with a single demand and warned that any delay in the 28th Amendment would not only keep depriving the people of true benefits of democracy, it could also threaten security and integration of the country.

“We have now decided to go to every party and even to the rulers,” said Federal Education Minister and MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. “We demand to bring 28th Amendment as early as possible. Now people want something decisive. And based on people’s demand and wish, we can have some courage to make a final decision about our support to your system. Let’s do it and you will find us behind you supporting your government and protecting democracy.”

The MQM-P chairman directly addressed PM Shehbaz and reminded him of the April 2022 agreement, when the party left the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government to support the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) interim set-up, and later, after the February 2024 elections, extended its support to the PML-N.

However, he said that the conditions put forward by the MQM-P have yet to be fulfilled.

“Now I want to address the prime minister and want him to tell the nation what MQM-P had demanded to support you,” he said. “We only made one democratic, constitutional and legal demand that empowers people at grassroots level. You [PM] should tell the nation that the MQM-P made that demand when it has not even a single councillor in any constituency of the country. The MQM-P has only demanded the implementation of that constitutional guarantee under Article 140-A.”

Flanked by senior leaders Dr Farooq Sattar and Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the MQM-P chairman claimed that all political parties were mentally prepared for the 28th Amendment.

However, without naming it directly, he appeared to target the Pakistan Peoples Party, saying that only a “feudal mindset party”, which had been given an “artificial majority” and “imposed on the city”, did not want power to be transferred to the people.

Dr Sattar weighed in, emphasising local governance and citizen participation. “Now’s the time to transform Pakistan’s feudal democracy into a participatory democracy that’s inclusive. Every city in Pakistan should have the right to decide its own fate,” he said.

“A system of empowered local governments should be established in Pakistan, including Karachi. This will ensure progress, stability, and strengthen Pakistan’s unity, territorial integrity, and development.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kamal added a broader perspective, linking constitutional reform to national security. “When you look at today’s tense regional situation, countries are preparing for crises,” he said. “Pakistan’s civil administration must be empowered alongside the military to ensure stability. Local governments need authority to manage their own districts; otherwise, internal instability will be exploited by external threats. This is why MQM-P’s constitutional demands are not just political — they are a national security necessity.”

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2026