MQM-P reiterates demand for new provinces in manifesto

Demands 30% seats in assemblies for educated youth between ages of 25 to 40 years

KARACHI: With hardly 10 days left for the general elections scheduled for July 25, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan launched its manifesto on Saturday, reiterating the party’s stance for the creation of new provinces. ““We propose to create new provinces in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as administrative units,” the party convener, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, said at the launch, reasoning that divisions would improve governance and delivery services.

Addressing a joint press conference at the party headquarters in Bahadurabad, Siddiqui said that the additional provinces would be located within the boundaries of the existing ones and would retain their respective cultural and historic identity.



Siddiuqui, who was flanked by other party leaders, including Dr Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jalil, Aamir Khan, Syed Sardar Ahmed and Faisal Subzwari, added that: “For example, if more provinces are to be created in Punjab, these may be named Eastern Punjab, Western Punjab, Southern Punjab, Northern Punjab, Central Punjab and the same thing will be in the case of Sindh and other provinces.”

MQM-P, which has recently witnessed internal rifts between the Siddiqui-led Bahadurabad camp and Dr Sattar-led PIB Colony camp, has finally managed to reconcile and will put up a united front for the upcoming elections.

According to the manifesto, the country needs more administrative units for the balanced growth of all religions, even if Clause (4) of Article 239 of the Constitution is to be amended and more provinces are to be created through fair “referendum”.

#MQMManifesto2018 proposes creation of New Provinces for a better, governable #Pakistan. A potent Local Govt system will strengthen these provinces pic.twitter.com/9gqlhjAOQb

— Faisal Subzwari (@faisalsubzwari) July 14, 2018

The manifesto also touches upon various other subjects such as governance, local government, establishment of an order, participatory democracy, quota system, education, health, economy, census, energy, law and order, forced disappearances of political workers, judiciary, media and freedom of expression, agriculture, environment, youth, women and non-Muslim issues.

With regard to local governments, the manifesto proposes to strengthen the local bodies system while referring to Article 140-A of the Constitution, which states: “Each provincial government shall establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibilities and authority to the elected representatives of the local government.”

Siddiqui explained at the press conference that each state had three tiers - federal, provincial and local governments. “The federal government transfers financial resources to all provinces and the latter must devolve its powers and resources to local bodies.” He added that financial resources from the provincial to local government must be distributed both vertically and horizontally according to the NFC formula. “Taxes, like motor vehicle tax, excise duty, stamp duty, property registration fee and sales tax on services be transferred to the local government,” he said.



The MQM-P chief also demanded to restore the status of Karachi as a fully autonomous metropolitan corporation like other mega cities of the world by abolishing its six districts.

Regarding changes in the elections law, the party’s manifesto recommends to induct at least 10%, peasants and small landowners from rural areas as well as reserving 30% of the seats, including 10% women, in the national and provincial assemblies for educated youth within the age group of 20-45 years.