The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has announced a campaign for saving Karachi from the ‘destructive governance’ of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Veteran Muttahida leader and member of the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar on Saturday declared that the party would soon roll out a protest movement under the slogan ‘Save Karachi, Remove PPP’ to reclaim the city’s rights from the provincial government, which, he said, was bent on destroying the city.
He said the party of mobilise the citizens of Karachi and hold protests against the provincial government’s bad governance.
Addressing a crowded press conference at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters alongside MQM-P parliamentarians and the central cabinet of the All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation (APMSO), he admonished the PPP for its 18-year rule in Sindh, alleging it had pushed the province to the brink of ruin through corruption and injustice.
He asserted that the rulers had treated Karachi “worse than a stepmother,” adding that the time to hold them accountable was drawing near.
Dr Sattar also announced that the Baltistan Students Federation, an active youth organisation from Gilgit-Baltistan, had formally decided to merge with the APMSO describing the move as a historic step that would help dismantle dynastic politics in the region.
Outlining the MQM-P’s electoral plans, he said the party would contest all 24 seats in the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections scheduled for June 7, fielding candidates under the age of 35. The deadline for the submission of nomination papers is April 20.
Presenting his party’s vision for Gilgit-Baltistan, he emphasised the establishment of medical and engineering universities, modern infrastructure and hydropower projects to address the region’s electricity crisis. He also vowed that no new taxes would be imposed on minerals and mining resources.
On the economic front, Dr Sattar called for the federal government to abolish the annual petroleum levy of Rs640 billion to provide immediate relief to the public and urged that relations with Iran be leveraged for economic benefit.
He commended the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir towards maintaining peace in the country, stating that national progress depended on the vision of ‘Safe Karachi, Safe Pakistan’.
He asserted that the PPP’s vision was to suppress Karachi, but the MQM-P was committed to saving the city and would soon intensify its agitation campaign.
On the occasion, Baltistan Students Federation President Ehtisham, along with his colleagues, formally announced their decision to join the MQM-P and pledged to raise a strong voice for the deprived segments of Gilgit-Baltistan under the party’s banner.
