Rally row puts city on a collision course

MQM-P digs in for Sharae Faisal showdown over new provinces; mayor warns against repeat of May 12 violence

KARACHI:

A political face-off is brewing in Karachi as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) prepares to stage a protest rally on Sharae Faisal on November 29, while Mayor Murtaza Wahab has urged the party to choose a park instead, warning against a repeat of the violence that rocked the city on May 12, 2007.

The contrasting positions have brought the proposed demonstration into the spotlight, with MQM-P insisting on taking its demands to a major city thoroughfare and the mayor cautioning that political protests must not disrupt public life or jeopardise law and order.

Announcing the rally, senior MQM-P leader and former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar said the demonstration would press for administrative reforms, the creation of administrative units in Karachi and the restoration of powers to local government institutions.

He made the announcement during a consultative meeting at the party's Bahadurabad headquarters.

Akhtar argued that administrative units had become essential to improving governance and addressing Karachi's mounting administrative challenges. He said the November 29 rally would highlight what the party considers the city's constitutional and civic rights.

Responding to the proposed rally, Mayor Wahab said political parties had the right to express their views and stage demonstrations, but urged MQM-P to select a park rather than Sharae Faisal for its gathering. Recalling the events of May 12, 2007, when Karachi witnessed deadly violence and widespread disruption, Wahab said he did not want the city to experience a similar situation again.

He stressed that political activities should be conducted peacefully and without compromising public order, making it clear that the choice of venue was a matter of concern for the city administration.

The mayor's remarks have added another dimension to the proposed demonstration, placing the question of political expression alongside concerns over traffic disruption, public convenience and security on one of Karachi's busiest arteries.