Resentment in MQM-P against former Pak Sarzameen Party leaders will subside with time, says Khalid Maqbool

Giving the hostility between the parties, the merger of the Pak Sarzameen Party with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) was not an easy decision. He said there was much hostility and bitterness between the two groups when they merged, which would subside with time.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) President Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said this, reported urdu.geo.tv. He said it was natural that some people in the MQM-P liked the governor and others did not as the party workers have their individual perspective on collective decisions. He, however, maintained that until he was supervising the affairs, no one would feel the urge to leave the party.

Regarding the induction of Mustafa Kamal into the federal cabinet, Dr Siddiqui said he had not been informed in advance about the decision. He added that he had not proposed his name as a federal minister when the cabinet was formed and submitted some other names, but among the MQM-P parliamentarians, his name was finalised as the federal minister. He said he had earlier resigned two times from the ministerial position. He added that he wanted to focus on strengthening the party.

The MQM-P chief said they made an extraordinary decision of parting with the party’s founder after August 23, 2016, but the powers that be did not facilitate them. He said the MQM-P’s offices were closed and a crackdown was initiated on the party.

He clarified that the Rabita Committee of the MQM-P had not been dissolved. He said it was currently suspended due to investigations into a video leak incident. He maintained that the Rabita Committee could not be dissolved without completing legal formalities.

He said the MQM-P was the biggest ally of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the federal cabinet with 22 National Assembly seats and its representation in the cabinet should have been greater. He added that the party also did not want the ministries it was offered.

He said now the Karachi mayor could not say that he lacked powers because the Sindh chief minister belonged to his own party. Dr Siddiqui also denied the existence of MQM-London saying there was just single MQM, which was MQM-Pakistan.