Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan has called for Karachi to be declared a federal territory under Articles 148 and 149 of the Constitution, describing the move as essential following last week's deadly Gul Plaza tragedy that left dozens dead.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Bahadurabad, MQM-P leader and federal Health Minster Mustafa Kamal said the Sindh government has failed, and Karachi cannot be left at its mercy.
"Enough is enough.... Karachi cannot be left at the Sindh government's mercy," he added.
His statement comes as the death toll from last week's Gul Plaza fire jumped to 60, with 88 reportedly missing.
Relatives of those still missing have criticised the slow operation at the three-storey Gul Plaza, where rescuers are scouring the wreckage for human remains.
Fires are common in Karachi's markets and factories, which are known for their poor infrastructure, but a blaze on such a scale is rare.
A government committee has launched an investigation, but the cause of the inferno was not immediately clear.
Commenting on the Gul Plaza tragedy, Kamal said, "How many more accidents must we endure? How many more bodies must be recovered? How many more children will fall into open drains and die?"
“This democratic terrorism in Sindh should end immediately,” he added.
Kamal slammed the PPP-led government over its handling of the fire. “This city was not always like this,” he added.
“You [PPP] have ruled over the people while waiting for such disasters to occur. When asked for answers, you shift blame, claiming MQM burned Baldia factory,” he added.
Kamal said that during the period of lawlessness in Karachi, for which MQM is still criticised, PPP ministers would travel to London (to meet Altaf Hussain).
“The powers conferred under the 18th Amendment are being used for genocide instead of welfare. This 18th Amendment has become a cancer for the country and this should be abolished immediately,” demanded Kamal.
Responding to Kamal's presser, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said, “those who burnt the people alive for extortion” are politicising the Gul Plaza fire.
"The reality of MQM is in front of everyone as they used to kill hundreds of people in a single day. They set the Baldia Factory ablaze and also torched markets on M A Jinnah Road following a suicide blast on the Ashura procession in 2009," he added.
He said that after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Kamal also issued statements against the 18th Amendment, questioning the timing of such remarks.
Memon also asked why statements opposing the 18th Amendment surfaced following the recent incident, adding that political point-scoring would serve no purpose.
He said that if anyone wanted to challenge the 18th Amendment, they should do so on the floor of the assembly, stressing that mere rhetoric outside parliament would not yield any results.
Speaking on Geo News programme 'Geo Pakistan,' Sanaullah said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has a stance on the 18th Amendment, stressing "it should be discussed.”
His remarks came a day after the Pakistan Peoples Party sharply reacted to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's remarks — terming the 18th Amendment a "charade" — and warned against any move to roll back the Amendment.
Sanaullah said that empowering district governments is a constitutional requirement, adding that people’s problems cannot be resolved until local governments are strengthened.
He said that district governments must be empowered to ensure effective service delivery.
"The constitution provides room for improvement," the PM's aide said.
