Wahab, Sharjeel link MQM with Karachi’s past reign of terror

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who also serves as a spokesperson for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has dismissed the press conference of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Mustafa Kamal, terming their claims a “bundle of lies”.

He accused them of fabricating claims against the PPP and said their frustration stemmed from internal conflicts within the MQM-P.

“Perhaps MQM has forgotten that they pioneered extortion culture, gutka, mawa, and other heinous activities in this city. The people of Karachi know exactly who created an atmosphere of fear and bloodshed here,” Wahab said.

He said MQM leaders were haunted by their past whenever they witnessed the Sindh government’s development projects under the PPP. “MQM’s history is filled with gunny-bag murders and extortion. They cannot tolerate Karachi’s progress. Every time we inaugurate a major development project, they inexplicably grow anxious. Their worries will only increase as the PPP-led Sindh government continues expanding Karachi’s development network,” he added.

The mayor reaffirmed the PPP’s commitment to Karachi’s progress. “No matter how many obstacles they try to create, we remain determined to restore Karachi’s vibrancy. Under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s vision, the Sindh government is working tirelessly and will continue to do so,” he stated.

He also lashed out at MQM leaders, calling them “political orphans” rejected by the people of Karachi. “They know Bilawal Bhutto Zardari represents Pakistan’s bright future. His leadership has permanently buried the politics of violence in Karachi. The business community and the people of Sindh firmly stand with Bilawal, and the day is not far when Pakistan elects him as Prime Minister,” Wahab said.

Meanwhile, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also reacted to Dr Siddiqui's statement, saying that the MQM criticised the PPP to revive its dead politics. He said that for the people of Karachi, the MQM had become a nightmare of the past. According to him, the MQM criticised the PPP only to provoke a response, hoping to increase its political stature.

In his statement, Memon said the PPP did not take any statement from any MQM leader seriously. He said the luncheon held in honour of Karachi's traders was a successful gathering and its purpose was to identify and resolve the issues being faced by traders and to work with them to put Pakistan on the path of development.

The information minister said the traders expressed full confidence in the PPP chairman and thanked him for ensuring that they no longer received extortion slips or found bodies in sacks. He added that traders were no longer forced to give up animal hides, nor did they face frequent strike calls.

He said the top priority of the PPP and Sindh government was to make Sindh as well as the entire country prosperous and developed.