KARACHI: : Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) leader Waseem Akhtar has said that they are regretting joining hands with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).

     Talking exclusively to a local TV channel, the MQM-P leader said that winning with 50,000 votes in a constituency with 600,000 voters is not a big deal. MQM-P’s vote bank is being dismantled through unfair delimitations, he added. He added that all political parties lost the by-polls as only 8% of people voted in Karachi. Has Murataz Wahab delivered in Karachi if MQM-P failed? he questioned. He added that cases against all other political parties, including the PPP and PML-N, were quashed but their ‘clapping’ cases were not.

He added it is not a big deal if Imran Khan got 50,000 out of the 600,000 votes in Karachi. They have not performed up to the mark, but they were practically powerless, he admitted. Talking about the appointment of Kamran Tesori as Governor of Sindh he said, it has nothing to do with them losing the elections and that the Governor’s position is a ceremonial one.

Meanwhile, differences are reported to have arisen from MQM-P as Amir Khan was not invited to the party’s ‘important meeting’ at Sindh Governor House. According to details, Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori and MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui summoned an emergency consultative meeting to discuss the agreement signed with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). It must be mentioned here that Governor Sindh will likely to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within next 24 hours to convey their reservations to the premier. On the other hand, MQM-P leader Wasim Akhtar said that after Governor-MQM meeting they are looking ahead to hold another important meeting to take key decision..

Meanwhile, it is learnt from the reliable sources that Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) finally agreed to most of proposed amendments by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's (MQM-P) to Sindh Local Government (LG) Act as latter expects breakthrough soon. According to sources, PPP has agreed to most of proposed amendments to Sindh Local Government Act and handed over a new draft to MQM-P leadership. Sources told that provincial government has agreed to hand over schools and hospitals to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.  "It is jointly agreed that property tax would be collected by KMC," they added.

Once agreed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, sources said draft act would be presented in provincial assembly for approval.  A 18-point agreement was reached between Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan People's Party before quit Imran Khan-led coalition government and it was named as "Charter of Rights". Agreement was signed by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and MQM-P's Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while Shehbaz Sharif, Fazlur Rehman, Akhtar Mengal and Khalid Magsi have signed agreement as guarantor.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 18 2022

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