An informal political meeting between the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan was held at the Bilawal House Karachi on Saturday.
According to sources within the PPP, the meeting included an interaction between President Asif Ali Zardari and MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi were also present during the meeting.
Participants discussed the prevailing political situation, ongoing development projects, political relations between the PPP and MQM-P, the recent change in the office of the Sindh governor, and other matters of mutual interest.
The meeting concluded with a consensus that all outstanding issues should be resolved through dialogue. Both parties also agreed to maintain their working relationship and continue holding further meetings.
It was further agreed that both political parties would remain in close contact to address public issues and work towards resolving the problems faced by the people of the province.
Chairman of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that the spirit of public service associated with his party predates its political movement, questioning how poverty continues to grow in a city that has supported the country for decades.
He was addressing participants and media representatives at the annual relief programme organised by the Khidmat e Khalq Foundation in the Federal B Area of Karachi on Saturday.
The event was attended by senior MQM leaders, including Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar, Anees Qaimkhani and Ameenul Haque, besides other party officials, lawmakers and organisational representatives.
Dr Siddiqui said the Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation was established in 1979 and its tradition of humanitarian service was older than the party’s political movement.
He remarked that while motorways across Pakistan had been built with taxes generated from Karachi, the city itself lacked such infrastructure.
He also expressed concern over increasing road accidents caused by heavy traffic, stating that innocent children in Karachi were being crushed under uncontrolled heavy vehicles. “The enemies of this city will now be held accountable,” he added.
The MQM-P chairman further claimed that both the police and criminals operating in the city often had no local roots in Karachi, alleging that organised attempts were being made to seize land in the metropolis. He urged the courts to ensure justice, free from prejudice. He feared that decisions influenced by bias could further inflame tensions in the city. Dr Siddiqui emphasised the urgent need for an “educational emergency” in Karachi, saying that failing to establish a new major public university after the University of Karachi was detrimental to the city’s future.
Referring to the 2023 population census, he alleged that the city’s population had initially been undercounted by three million people before political efforts helped ensure the inclusion of an additional seven million residents. He vowed that the party’s mandate would not be undermined.
Commenting on the recent change in the Sindh governorship, he said the MQM had not been taken into confidence, describing it as unfair. However, he added that raising their voice for what they considered the truth often came with consequences.
He also praised former governor Kamran Tessori, saying he had made history and left the Governor House Karachi with dignity.
Dr Siddiqui clarified that the MQM relief programme was not merely about distributing aid but about restoring the dignity of respectable families facing economic hardship. He said such individuals were the pride of the city, adding that the MQM would continue to stand with the people of Karachi and raise its voice for the city’s rights.
