MQM-P announces ‘massive’ protest at Fawara Chowk

Mustafa Kamal says protest to continue till PPP fulfils its promises

KARACHI:

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Senior Deputy Convenor Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday that the party would hold a massive rally and sit-in on Sunday, February 12, to protest against unfilled promises of the Pakistan Peoples Party. The grievances include the 'controversial' local government (LG) polls, 'flawed' delimitations and voter lists.

The protest is scheduled for 4pm at the Fawara Chowk, close to the Sindh Assembly building. Kamal clarified that the sit-in would take place outside the high-security zone where key government installations are located.

The Sindh government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) are not paying attention to our concerns, said Kamal, while announcing the protest. "The problems of the urban areas of Sindh, including Karachi, are at a tipping point," he said. "If Karachi's problems are not addressed, it will become an issue of national security."

Kamal, who was flanked by Deputy Convenor Anees Qaimkhani and members of the coordination committee in the press conference, said that the Sindh governmet had admitted to mistakes in the delimitation of constituencies and written a letter regarding the same to the ECP.

The MQM-P boycotted the election because the provincial government accepted its mistake regarding all 53 UCs in Karachi, Kamal said.

The ECP, however, had refused to delay the election for a fourth time for the delimitation issue to be resolved.

"After the provincial government's letter, there were no constituencies in Karachi. So how could elections be held," asked Kamal.

He accused the PPP of being biased in the delimitation process in not only Karachi but also Hyderabad.

"It is better to die in struggle on the streets for rights than to die sitting at home and drinking sewage water," Kamal said while urging workers to attend the protest on Sunday

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2023.