MQM-P unveils an ambitious manifesto

Announces plans to build 100 new cities; repatriate Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh

ISLAMABAD:

The MQM-P on Thursday unveiled its election manifesto, presenting the party’s plans for imposing a health and education emergency; building 100 new cities and generating $100b remittances. Among the agenda items ranging from economy to defense and internal security to agriculture, the party has presented its vision for the future and outlined reforms that it intends to bring in different sectors.

The MQM-P says it will make the anti-corruption laws stricter by introducing capital punishment for mega corruption. Advocating for implementing an educational emergency for five to 10 years, it promises a one-time meal to mothers bringing their child to school and a one-time glass of milk for children who attend school.

“Our manifesto is aligned with our national agenda and whether we sit in opposition or join any coalition we will strive to implement [it],” the party says. It says flaws and deficiencies in the present Constitution and the obsolete political and administrative setup have made Pakistan a “feudocracy” instead of true participatory democracy.

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“We believe a new social contract is the need of the hour to make the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan closer to the will of the people,” it reads. Effective policies, collaboration, and investments in education are crucial for realizing the vision of $100 billion remittances, making Pakistan's mark on the global stage, it adds.

The party proposes a practical formula to free Pakistan from the clutches of the IMF and the World Bank by earning $100 billion foreign exchange utilizing the youth bulge. The manifesto states that the party would go for introducing agriculture tax on income no less than Rs4.8 million and no more than 200 acres of land through a necessary constitutional amendment.

Under urban development, the MQM-P proposes to curtail the rapid degradation and deterioration of life in existing cities and urban centers of Pakistan. “The MQM-P commits to build 100 new cities, including clusters of satellite cities, most of which with specialized industrialized zones.”

Also, the MQM-P commits to gradually increase the representation of women to 50% particularly in the parliament, provincial assemblies, local governments, governments, and semi-government offices. The party says it will ensure that essential reproductive health services including family planning services are affordable and readily available to all citizens of the country, saying there was a need to create a balance between population size and available resources.

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The manifesto states that 2% of the GDP will be allocated to reach out to the citizens who need social security, saying the concept of the BISP shall be revised and will be changed into the BIGP—Benazir Income Generation Programme—in order to protect the self-esteem of people.

The MQMP manifesto states that it intends to repatriate all stranded Pakistanis from Mashriqi Pakistan (Bangladesh). The MQM-P intends to target 8% forest cover in 5 years and maintain international standards and allocation of land for forests. The MQM-P also proposes abolishing the prevailing “medieval feudal system” from the country.

It says that the national water accord will be reviewed to ensure and rationalize just water distribution among provinces, adding that 650 mgd/day additional water will be supplied to Karachi through K-4 project. Under the defense chapter, it says that strong intelligence services are critical for national defense and, therefore, investment will be made in artificial intelligence (AI), human and signals intelligence to preempt threats and secure its interests.