MQM-Pakistan formally launches its election drive in Malir

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Sunday held a public gathering in Malir Town’s Saudabad area to expedite its election campaign before the upcoming general elections.

The MQM-P spokesperson said the party would hold such gatherings in all 29 towns of Karachi as part of their election campaign, adding that the party is trying to contact the masses by holding corner meetings and public gatherings at the same time.

The public meeting in Saudabad was attended by a large number of people, who were gathered around the stage. “We’re not here for any election,” said MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. “We’re here to win hearts. Elections aren’t our destination. They’re the path to reach our destination.”

Siddiqui said that those who wander off the path to their destination are called lost. He said that over the past five years they have not allowed martyrs’ graveyards to fill. The nation’s prosperity is intricately tied to the well-being of Karachi, he added.

He also said Pakistan is a trust passed down by our ancestors, adding that Karachi is the gateway to the nation’s survival, security and prosperity, so if you bring distress to Karachi, the entire nation would suffer.

Siddiqui said the Malir residents’ election boycott was commendable. “These are the people who have helped recover millions. In the next census we’ll strive to ensure more people are accounted for. We’ve also successfully recovered 53 missing persons.”

MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Syed Mustafa Kamal said that all of Pakistan’s political parties, even together, cannot achieve anything. “Some thought Malir’s people won’t support the MQM. Today they should see the people’s enthusiasm. Its effects will reach Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Kashmir and all of Pakistan.”

Kamal said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has been in power for 15 years but there is no potable water at people's homes. He claimed that the city has not seen a drop of water in 15 years, and that the PPP’s ministers sell water to the people through hydrants.

“Today the sewage system is in its worst condition. They provided jobs to people with fake domiciles of urban areas. The MQM-P will free Sindh’s people from the clutches of landlords.”

He said the MQM-P is a party of all ethnic groups, and it would contest the elections from everywhere, including Lyari and Sohrab Goth. Securing the rights of Karachi’s residents is a straightforward task, as the party has shown over the past year, he added.

He also said the IMF cannot save the country from debt but Karachi can, adding that people would unconditionally support a party that can guarantee their constitutional rights. Senior Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said the MQM-P has commenced its formal electoral campaign, adding that their resolution for the year 2023 is that the present generation of Pakistan’s founders would save the country.

He said that no one should underestimate the offspring of those who built the nation, adding that the gathering in Saudabad has confirmed that the MQM-P is present here on the ground, that it is a political force that can be suppressed but not eliminated.

He also said that as divisions ceased among the MQM-P’s factions, a struggle for rights has begun. “The MQM-P has worked to restore the rights of Karachi’s seven million inhabitants. Four more seats have been given to Karachi. Feudal lords and landlords have long held Karachi’s rights in their grip.”

MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Nasreen Jalil said the people of Malir had proved that they stand for justice. She said the city’s condition has been deteriorating and the infrastructure is in a state of ruin.

She also said that the past eras of the MQM-P are shining examples of progress, adding that they would all work together for Pakistan’s development.

Anis Kaimkhani said that in the 2018 general elections, the MQM-P’s mandate had been stolen but no one would be allowed to do so in the 2023 general elections.

He said the gathering in Saudabad is just a trailer, and their opponents would see what the people of Malir show in the complete film. This is the first of the gatherings to be held in the city’s 29 towns, he added.

Other MQM-P leaders also spoke on the occasion. Meanwhile, MQM founder Altaf Hussain’s faction through social media had appealed to Malir’s residents not to participate in the MQM-P’s gatherings and meetings.