MQM-P questions legality of LG polls

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that on December 31, 2021, the Sindh government carried out delimitations under Section 10/1 of the Sindh Local Government Act.

However, he reminded, the same section was withdrawn by the provincial government on January 12, 2023 through a notification which means virtually no delimitation of union councils existed on January 13. While addressing a press conference in a park adjacent to Bahadurabad on Wednesday, Siddiqui further said that the local government (LG) elections held on January 15 had been held without any delimitation which is a violation of constitutional, legal and democratic rights of the people.

"MQM-Pakistan wants to contest the elections in a constitutional, legal, and democratic manner as it represents 98% of the middle class. If we do not contest, then the election will not be accepted," he added. He further said that "on January 15, there was an action, not an election, which was also rejected by the people, whereas the MQM-Pakistan has been a representative party of the urban areas of Sindh for 40 years, which is now stronger than ever."

He added that they were mobilizing people by creating awareness after which they would exercise their democratic right to protest. "Before that we are giving an opportunity to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Sindh government to correct the wrong," he said.

Siddiqui said that after the Sindh government's notification, the ECP should start delimitation afresh from next week. The Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court are requested to play their role in recognizing the right to representation of the tax-paying city that runs the entire country.

Siddiqui further stated that those who contested in LB elections in Karachi and Hyderabad were ashamed because the history would judge them as criminals. All the parties collectively got lesser votes than the MQM-Pakistan alone had polled in the LB elections held seven years ago, he added.

"On the one hand, the police were given an additional assignment of rigging the election, while on the other hand, people were worried about this broad daylight robbery," he said, adding that those who won with a margin of few votes have bartered the rights of people for electoral victory.

He stated that there was no harm in delaying the LB elections by another month to demarcate constituencies fairly to ensure transparent elections.

While speaking alongside Siddiqui, MQM-Pakistan's senior leader Dr. Farooq Sattar said that the ECP did not invalidate the delimitations by not accepting the notification of the Sindh government, while it does not have the constitutional option of defying the Sindh government's notification.

Deputy Convener Wasim Akhtar, Abdul Wasim, senior party leader Syed Mustafa Kamal and other members of the Coordination Committee were also present at the press conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2023.