Politicians unite against separate province demand

MQM leader renewed demand to carve new province out of Sindh

KARACHI/HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – Pakistan Convener Dr Farooq Sattar’s dramatic press conference on Thursday night garnered mixed reactions from the public and politicians alike.

A renewed demand for carving out a new province in Sindh during Sattar’s press conference drew the ire of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT).

Speaking to the media outside the Sindh Assembly on Friday, PPP leaders termed Sattar’s demand a conspiracy to instigate ethnic violence in the province. "MQM leaders live in a fool's paradise,” said Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro. “No one can carve out any province from Sindh," he warned, adding that the Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP) and MQM have only hate speeches to offer.

Khuhro asked Sattar to tell the public under whose pressure he formed a political alliance with the Mustafa Kamal-led PSP. "I appeal to the citizens of Karachi to please avoid the rhetoric of these leaders because they are following a script given to them," he said.



Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentary leader Khurrum Sher Zaman also spoke to the media and said Sattar is following in the footsteps of MQM founder Altaf Hussain. "Look at his drama of tendering his resignation. He has inherited this from his founding leader," Zaman accused, adding that the party’s leaders are struggling to protect their vested interests. "The MQM has always remained in power but has never given incentives to Karachiites," he said.

PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon said Sattar's drama is proof that he is Altaf’s successor. "How can we expect change when these people [MQM leaders] are trained by Altaf Hussain? His policy will definitely prevail in the city," he said, seeing Kamal as a ‘weak wicket’. "The PPP has never ever tried to win over the MQM's men but we will welcome those who join us," Memon said.

MQM’s parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed, however, said his party and the PSP had merely announced an electoral alliance. No one has said anything about abolishing the party, he clarified.

"Farooq Sattar did not stage any drama; he tendered his resignation and later withdrew the decision on the request of party leaders," he explained, adding that Sattar is the leader of MQM and everyone has to follow him.



"We don't [want] to carve out new province from Sindh, nor was this discussed during yesterday's [Rabita Committee] meeting," he clarified.

Pakistan Muslim League – Functional’s Nusrat Seher Abbasi threatened that those who speak about bifurcating Sindh will face the consequences. She said despite serious differences within the ranks of political parties in Sindh, everyone is united against forces that want to divide the province.

Speaking to QAT workers in Hyderabad, party chief Ayaz Palijo warned that there would be consequences if anyone tried to break up the province.

He said that the people planning to separate Karachi from Sindh will be buried along with their dreams.

"MQM has always engaged in politics of hate and hypocrisy," he alleged. Palijo alleged that the MQM has been trying to destroy peace in Karachi and Pakistan on the directions of hostile foreign intelligence agencies. "The hands of MQM's leaders and those quitting the party to join other parties are soaked in the blood of the victims of May 12, May 22, Nishtar Park, Baldia and burning of lawyers incidents."



The QAT leader argued that not prosecuting the perpetrators of these horrific and barbaric incidents is a betrayal and injustice to the victims and their families.

He blamed both the PPP and MQM for alleged corruption and bad governance. Palijo contended that the two parties resort to ethnic politics of playing the Sindhi and Mohajir cards before the elections.