'MQM-Pakistan organised multi-party conference to support Centre'

Nisar Khuhro denies PPP was formally invited to the conference

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan's (MQM-Pakistan) multi-party conference was organised to lobby in favour of the federal government in exchange for Rs25 billion of worth Karachi package.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President and Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said this while addressing a press conference along with other party leaders on Wednesday. "Why should PPP become part of such lobby? Therefore, we preferred to stay away from it," he remarked.

Khuhro said it is the federal government's duty to allocate funds for Karachi from where it generates revenue of billions of rupees. "One should not take it as a surprise and celebrate. It is our tax money and the federal government should have announced Karachi package a long time ago," he said.



Flanked by Information Minister Nasir Shah, Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi, Khohro denied that the MQM-Pakistan had invited the PPP to attend the conference. "They just held meeting with us, but did not invite for multi-party conference which was scheduled on August 22," Khuhro said, adding that MQM's Khawaja Izharul Hasan had only verbally informed the PPP leadership and avoided to share the agenda of the conference.

"How can we confirm our participation when no one shared invitation with us," he said, refuting the MQM's claims that the PPP leadership had confirmed its participation at the conference.

Referring to speculations about merger of various factions of MQM, Khuhro asked MQM-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar to disclose names of those elements who were pressurising the MQM factions to unify.  "We have no objection if MQM factions are joining hands to work on one platform," he added.



"I have no idea why MQM postponed the conference. It looks as if they have cancelled the programme on the advice of Altaf Hussain who is still their leader," Khuhro sarcastically remarked while responding to a question.

Appreciating his party's role in democratic dispensation, Khuhro said PPP has always supported democracy and fought against military rules in the country. "We came to rescue the democracy when Imran Khan staged sit-in in Islamabad. We don't support an individual, but we want to strengthen the democracy and institutions," he said.

When asked about the contentious issue of local bodies' powers, he said, "We have already given powers to the mayor and other local bodies as per law passed by the Sindh Assembly". Referring to the MQM's demand for more powers to the civic bodies, he said, "They are demanding for powers given to them by army dictator General Musharraf, which is not possible in present circumstances."