As the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government moved to carve out another district, Keamari, in Karachi, it came under fire from different quarters on Thursday.
Among them, the loudest of the opposing voices belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) - two political parties having the most significant hold in Sindh’s urban centres.
While the MQM-P announced to challenge the decision in the court, the PSP will be staging a protest demonstration today (Friday).
‘A division on linguistic, political grounds’
Denouncing the PPP for adding a seventh district to Karachi, MQM-P’s Rabita Committee, in a statement issued on Thursday, said, “The PPP has always [attempted to] divide Pakistan, Sindh, and Karachi on linguistic grounds.”
The committee juxtaposed the development against the Independence of Bangladesh in 1970s, when the PPP took over the country’s reins for the first time, and the introduction of a quota system based on the classification of urban and rural Sindh. Making these comparisons, the coordination committee stated, “Delineating Keamari as a separate district clearly depicts the PPP’s biased thinking, based on linguistic [prejudice].”
As it complained about not being consulted on the matter, the MQM-P claimed the PPP had formed another district for “political gains and making money.” It went on to say, “The PPP wants to take control of Karachi by force.” The committee also accused the PPP of aiming to “destroy the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.”
It further pointed out that even when divided into six districts, Karachi’s “local district administration remained paralysed.”
In the statement, MQM-P said it would approach the courts over the formation of the seventh district in the port city.
Reiterating this after inaugurating the construction work for Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani Road and Olympian Islahuddin Road, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar remarked, “While the PPP dubbed the division of Sindh [into further provinces] the division of dharti maa [motherland], it went ahead with splitting Karachi.”
He claimed the PPP was establishing the seventh district to further destroy Karachi and make political gains.
Maintaining that instead the entire city should have been a single district, the mayor added that he and his party wanted another administrative unit in Sindh to resolve issues of the province’s urban areas.
“If a new district can be formed in Karachi, then another province can also be carved out of Sindh,” he added.
‘Torn apart due to ethnic bias’
The PSP, also condemning the provincial government’s move, announced it would hold a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club today (Friday).
Speaking on the matter, PSP chief Mustafa Kamal said, “The PPP has laid the foundation of dismembering Sindh, as it goes ahead with tearing apart Karachi - its economic lifeline - into pieces.”
Deeming the formation of Keamari district a move based on “ethnic grounds,” he warned that it would start a game of “blood and fire in Sindh.”
He went on to accuse the PPP of sowing the seeds of “hatred and prejudice” which could “dismember the country.”
He added that the “flames of hatred ignited in Sindh would take decades to extinguish.”
According to Kamal, “The ethnic division of Karachi is a matter of Pakistan’s national security.”
‘Selling out Sindh’
Meanwhile, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and earlier the Sindh United Party (SUP), took exception to the formation of a six-member committee, comprising representatives of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PPP and MQM-P, to resolve Karachi’s problems.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday, GDA secretary general Ayaz Latif Palijo particularly criticised the inclusion of the MQM-P in the committee and called a three-day protest, starting August 24.
“If the decision pertaining to the committee’s constitution is not withdrawn, we will launch a province-wide strike,” he warned.
He also censured the PPP for “selling out Sindh’s resources to the Centre and meanwhile, staging a theatrical protest.”
Terming the constitution of the committee “unconstitutional,” he called for the prime minister to immediately withdraw the decision.
The previous day, SUP leader Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah had accused the PPP of conniving with the Centre to relinquish Sindh’s authority over Karachi.
“We reject this committee and warn the Centre against punishing the people of Sindh for PPP leaders’ corruption,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2020.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ