Ethnic politics may never end in Pakistan, says MQM-P leader

Ethnic politics may never end in Pakistan because there is no national leader nor has there ever been a national government, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said on Thursday.

Speaking at a seminar titled “The economic hub of the country plagued by violence” organised by MQM-P at Karachi Press Club, Siddiqui said that only generals and feudal lords have ruled the country, while the current governing system is the opposite of democracy.

Siddiqui added that Karachi was also the ideological hub of the country but no one was actually willing to solve its problems or even mention them. “If prosperity has to come to the country, it should enter bowing it head at Karachi’s door,” he said.

Citing allegations against his party of being involved in terrorism and land grabbing, he said that MQM never gave weapons to its workers but the circumstances forced them to do so. He added that MQM was behind only 20 per cent of the china-cutting (a scheme to allot amenity plots for commercial or residential activities), while others were also involved.

“Why don’t people see the china-cutting at Kati Pahari and in Hawkes Bay,” he said, referring to the areas where his rival parties are in power.

The MQM leader further said that conspiracy to encroach land in the city amounts to looting the country. “If Karachi will flourish so will the country and vice versa,” he said.

Opposing the notion that MQM was responsible for violence in the city, “Why don’t the state institutions go to the place from where the weapons are made and smuggled into the city,” he asked.

MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Amir Khan opined that peace cannot be installed until justice is done across the board. The seminar was attended by notables from the city, including psychiatrist Dr Haroon, journalist Tauseef Ahmed Khan and economist Shabbar Zaidi.

“Keeping in view the current circumstances, we should understand that intolerance must end in the society and for that we need to make ourselves better,” said Dr Haroon. While talking about the effect of lawlessness in Karachi on the country’s economy, Zaidi said that instead of going for political adventurism, one must show their political wisdom. “Only people from Karachi can take votes from the city’s residents,” he said.