MQM-P trashes PTI’s ‘traitor’ charges

Party leaders say do not need certificate of patriotism from anyone

KARACHI:

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) does not need a certificate for its patriotism from anyone, party leaders said late on Wednesday night lampooning PakistanTehreek Insaf (PTI) Sindh leadership for calling MQM lawmakers traitors and abettors of a 'foreign conspiracy' against Imran Khan's government.

The issue of no-trust motion was hot, when Imran Khan visited MQM-P headquarters at Bahadurabad, however, the then premier made no mention of a foreign conspiracy going on against his regime, the party leaders said at a general workers' meeting held in a park adjacent to MQM-P Bahadurabad headquarters.

MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while addressing the meeting, said, "We took workers' consent in the last session that we would have to make choices under changing situations, and you allowed us, for which we are grateful."

Siddiqui told the cheering workers that today, we have drafted a remarkable document that contains the signatures of all of Pakistan's opposition leaders. Our success has achieved so much for Sindh's urban regions, which has never been done before.

"The 26 MNAs of the past MQM government were not able to do what we did - getting assurance to form new provinces and agreement to give the Centre the right to form new administrative units rather than the provincial government," Siddiqui said.

Senator Faisal Sabzwari, a member of the Coordination Committee, stated that the agreement with the PTI was not for securing place in the cabinet, ministries or governors but for the problems in urban areas of Sindh.

PTI won two-thirds of the seats in Karachi but did not have the capacity to hold a rally, he said trashing claims of PTI Sindh leadership to rout MQM in next polls.

Responding to the PTI rhetoric of a foreign conspiracy against its government, Sabzwari said that after the no-confidence motion, the PTI continued to hold meetings with the MQM at various locations in Bahadurabad, and they kept begging us for votes. In this regard, even Imran Khan visited the headquarters of MQM Pakistan in Bahadurabad on March 9. But, Imran made no mention of any foreign conspiracy at that time.

Moreover, Sabzwari said, when Sindh Governor, Imran Ismail and PTI central leader Pervez Khattak met the MQM leadership on March 29, they too did not mention that there was an American conspiracy.

He said the PTI leadership is terming each and every opponent of Imran as traitors. "We do not need any certificate of patriotism from PTI."

Deputy Convener Kanwar Naveed Jamil, former mayor of Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, and members of the Coordination Committee were also present on occasion.

Today, if we have decided, we have also entered into a political agreement with the PPP in which the problems of the people of urban Sindh have been discussed.

The elimination of fake domiciles was achieved because justice should be executed in jobs. A fair municipal system should be empowered in the light of Supreme Court decisions. Those who say that we have made a deal for the benefit of the refugees should study this agreement which all the opposition parties of Pakistan have signed as a guarantor.

Bilawal Bhutto should sign the administrative unit provision, which the PPP has opposed. We are delighted to share our success story, which is truly the members' achievement.

These constitutional reforms were enacted by the same MQM in the National Assembly and Senate, ensuring that the local government system has the same constitutional protections as the National Assembly and Provincial Assembly.

Sabzwari said, "We have also signed an agreement with the PML-N to ensure that the census that has been initiated due to our pressure is completed, and the urban quota should be increased and revised. No one can issue us a treason certificate now; no one is more patriotic than us."

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2022.