MQM-P asks PM to address deprivation of urban Sindh

Calls for filing a NAB reference against illegal use of Karachi-Hyderabad domicile by people of other cities

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday and communicated to him their concerns regarding non-representation of people of Karachi and Hyderabad in various government departments.

The delegation said hundreds of thousands of people are appointed in different departments on fake domicile of the cities, depriving people of Karachi and Hyderabad of their rights. They demanded that a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference be filed against this irregularity.

The prime minister accepted that people belonging to Sindh’s urban areas have been deprived of their rights in the past and assured the delegation that this sense of deprivation will be addressed.

They also demanded that the fair distribution of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award be ensured at the provincial level through formation of the provincial financial commission.

Till formation of the provincial commission, the government must ensure that the bigger cities like Karachi and Hyderabad are given their due share in the development funds, they said.

The meeting also discussed in detail the development projects in Karachi. Sources said the PM declared the MQM-P the most important coalition partner of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Khan also heaped praise on the performance of both the MQM-P ministers in the cabinet. He termed performance of Law Minister Farogh Naseem better than all the ministers. The MQM-P delegation told the PM about their reservations against various steps of the Sindh government.

Sources said the PM told the delegation that Karachi is the face of Pakistan and the federal government together with Sindh government will initiate development projects for health and education in the province.

The MQM-P delegation included Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Minister of Information Technology Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Amir Khan, Ameen-ul-Haq and Faisal Sabzwari. Minister for Planning Khusro Bakhtiar and Naeem-ul-Haq were also present in the meeting.