MQM-P accuses PPP of increasing ethnic divide

Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui expresses concerns over appointment of ‘non-local’ administrators in Sindh

KARACHI:

The MQM-P, one of the key allies of the PTI’s federal government, has expressed “concern” over appointment of ‘non-local’ administrators at different cities and towns of Sindh, claiming that the PPP, which rules the southern province, is increasing ethnic divide.

“Administrators have been appointed in Sindh on ethnic basis. This move will increase ethnic tension,” said the MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui at a press conference at the party’s headquarters.

The convener of the party – which was once regarded as the sole representative of the Urdu speaking residents of urban Sindh – was referring to the officials, recently appointed on temporary basis to look after the local governments (LG) that completed their tenure last month.

Sindh government on Saturday appointed Karachi former commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani as the city's administrator. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who belongs to the PTI, had claimed that Shallwani's appointment was a consensus decision of “all stakeholders”.

However, the MQM-P had called the move based on ethnic discrimination.

“The PPP has already divided Sindh through a quota-system that discriminates on the basis of urban and rural Sindh. Now it has appointed administrators on ethnic basis” Dr Siddiqui added.

Referring to the Rs1.1trillion package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday for uplifting Karachi, the MQM-P leader said development work started in the city as soon as the MQM-P led local government concluded their term in Karachi.

He said his party would not comment on the funds allocated for the metropolis under the Karachi Transformation Plan but "Some people are conducting a post-mortem of what is being given. We don't want to do that," he added.

Dr Siddiqui said his party is still happy with the package and hoped that money would be spent on the city. “However, such announcements have also been made in the past but they were not implemented,” he said.

 He said his party demanded that the city's administrator should be a person living in Karachi, “someone who is able to understand the problem of the people and who is not politically affiliated with anyone."

"We have the same demand for Hyderabad, Larkana and Sukkur and other cities. This is the right way to do things. When we expressed our concerns, we were told that it was not appropriate to appoint a separate administrator and that is why the deputy commissioners were given this responsibility.

"If that's the case, then why wasn't the Karachi commissioner given this responsibility?" he asked.

Also criticizing the federal government, the MQM-P leader said he was at a loss to understand as to why it allowed future development work to be carried out by a ‘bureaucrat’ associated with the PPP government.

"If you want to allocate Rs1.1 trillion for the city's development then you should do so through those who know this city," he added.