KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Saturday said that his party’s style of politics was the only way to take Pakistan towards development. He said the founder of Pakistan had opted for democracy as the only way for Pakistan’s progress.
Addressing a Meet the Press at the Karachi Press Club, he said: “We were not accidental Pakistanis. Those who came to Pakistan left their regional identity to be only Pakistanis and Muslims. There were political and religious parties representing every sect and language. But what were the reasons which forced us to create MQM for the representation of people living in the streets, that too in the presence of all those parties?” questioned Siddiqui.
“Only we can understand the outcome of the agreement that the MQMP made with the PPP. We lost huge political capital because of making working relations with the PPP. The people in interior Sindh think that we have an agreement with the Peoples Party. But the fact is that the MQMP has put some demands before the PPP,” he said.He said the media is considered the fourth pillar of the state. “We should fight together for the restoration of real democracy in the country. The situation had been the same for forty years. Only a few families were sitting in the Houses (of Parliament). There were breaks of ten years in the elections in Pakistan.
“The dynastic politics can’t move forward in Pakistan. Two countries in our neighborhood have progressed. This is why MQMP firmly believes in democracy rejecting feudalism, fake and artificial democracy as well as dynastic politics,” Siddiqui said.
Mentioning the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) report, he said the Super Market of Liaquatabad was paying more tax than the whole of Lahore. Until ordinary Pakistanis were given rights and powers, the situation would not improve, he added. The MQMP leader said that the taxpaying responsibility could not be restricted to only one city.
He said the MQMP was not divided but was going through a phase of renewal. “Now our party is more active, strong and stable than before. Not only the government is incomplete without MQMP, but the opposition also feels that it is incomplete without us.”
He said the governments did not give the people of Karachi their rights despite the traders’ estimating that the port city’s population was 35 million while the rulers counted it at 15 million. “The PPP co-chairman on the floor of the house has admitted that the population of Karachi is 3.5 crores. Former Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also said that this city has a population of 3.5 crores.” He said that more Pashtuns live in Karachi than in Quetta, more Sindhis than in Larkana, and even more Afghans live in Karachi than Kabul. “The authorities don’t count high-rises and then they fix a formula that 5 persons live in a house on an average. However, the houses are also not being counted completely.
“When we have got the mandate, it is our responsibility to deliver. We consider the whole of Pakistan as our responsibility and the trust of our ancestors.” The MQMP convener said that they had to fight jointly for the development of Pakistan.
Separately, addressing an Iftar dinner in Liaquatabad Town, the MQMP convener said that no one could end the mandate of Karachi through bullet or gun.
The city did not accept the language of power, he added.
“We warn the ruling class that if you don’t correctly count the population of the city on whose income you live, it would be free in making its own decision,” said Siddiqui, adding that the history of Pakistan begins with migration and ends with the memory of martyrs.
In response to a question, Dr Siddiqui said that a heavy responsibility for the movement was on Mustafa Kamal’s shoulders. Therefore, he could not be made the governor, and the current governor of Sindh, Kamran Tessori, was also nominated by the MQMP. Dr Siddiqui, meanwhile, along with Sindh Governor Tessori, visited Orangi Town.
Siddiqui listened to the problems of the people of Orangi Town and told the governor that every effort should be made to solve the problems. Tessori assured Dr. Siddiqui that he will resolve the grievances of the people as soon as possible.