Population growth: MQM urges govt to create more administrative units in the country

PPP rebuffs MQM's proposal, adding that no one would be allowed to break or reshape Sindh.

ISLAMABAD: The two Sindh-based political parties – the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - on Thursday confronted each other during the joint session of Parliament regarding the division of Sindh.

While further moving ahead with the idea floated by MQM chief Altaf Hussain during his speech on Wednesday, MNA Rasheed Godil urged the government to make more provinces in the country on administrative basis. He further urged the government to shun dynastic politics, which he perceived as being the only way to bring Pakistan on the right track of progress.

While taking part in the debate in the joint session, Godil said Pakistan created four provinces in 1949, when its population was just 40 million. He said the figure has now crossed 180 million, adding, “Now the simple formula is that the country should have 20 provinces as per the population growth.”

Godil further said more provinces would help to administer the population in an effective way.

“This is the need of the hour to make new provinces keeping in view the population growth, which has become impossible to administer,” said Godil.

“We talk about the Constitution and democracy whenever we want to protect our interest, but we are reluctant to hold local government elections, which the Constitution bounds us to,” he added.

“The problems of this country will come to an end once our political leadership announces that they, and their families, will not take part in elections,” he said, adding that dynastic politics strengthens feudalism and usurps the rights of the poor.

Godil pointed out how MQM chief Altaf Hussain had neither contested in any elections nor did he allow any of his family members to contest elections, which is a shining example for other political parties to follow. “Today all political leaders must announce to not contest elections themselves.”

Irrespective of the style of protests by the two parties – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) --  Godil said most of their demands were genuine, and should be taken into consideration for the larger national interest.

“Whenever we talk about corruption, politicians come together to protect each other and conceal their irregularities.”

The MQM leader noted that ego and attitude problems were hampering an amicable resolution to the impasse.

In response to the MQM leader, PPP lawmaker Ayaz Soomro said no one would be allowed to break or reshape Sindh, which is their identity. “No one can dare to break the province, Sindh will remain the same,” he maintained. He said those who talk of breaking the province are not sincere with Sindh, and PPP will not allow any such design to be fulfilled.

Referring to the speech of MQM chief, Soomro said PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto was not a child and is the head of the largest political party of the country, and would emerge as the head of the largest party by winning the 2018 elections.

Criticising the PTI and PAT leaders, Somroo said people come to politics to earn honour and dignity, but leaders of the protesting parties were trying to humiliate everyone from their containers, which would dent politics.

He added that the attack on Parliament and the PTV building was a conspiracy against national sovereignty, which should be taken seriously.

Soomro castigated PTI chief Imran Khan for saying he wants to visit Sindh to attract the youth, saying, “Why will the Sindhi youth go after a 62-year-old man in the presence of 25-year-old leader Bilawal Bhutto?”

Despite reservations regarding the 2013 general election results, Soomor said they will support democracy and will back Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for completing his term.

PTI dissident leader Nasir Khan Khattak said the Chinese president preferred to visit to India due to the instability created by the two protesting parties, which is a great loss to the country. He said the Parliament should pass a resolution inviting the Chinese president to Pakistan for a visit at the earliest, adding that the government should ensure its writ and deal with both protesting parties accordingly.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Mushahidullah Khan said the two parties had started their protest under a designed conspiracy, and its roots stem from London and Canada.

“The two leaders have a hidden agenda against Pakistan, but the political parties have foiled their malicious designs,” the PML-N senator said.

Khan claimed that anti-state activities had started before the Model Town incident. “I believe that PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri will definitely be involved in the Model Town incident if a fair investigation is conducted.”

He opined that the protest is part of a great game with the basic purpose of damaging Pakistan’s economy. He said every institution, including the Parliament, judiciary, executive and the media, of the country should work within its own domain and should avoid interfering in each others affairs.