MQM-P names Farogh Naseem for Senate chairman

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (Bhadarabad) on Wednesday announced the name of newly elected Senator Barrister Farogh Naseem for the post of Senate chairman and Senator Khushbahkt Shujaat as deputy chairperson.

“We appeal to bigger political parties of the country to heal the grievances of the urban areas of Sindh with supporting us for the top slot in the Senate”, said Convener of MQM-P (Bhadarabad) Rabita Committee Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui while addressing a press conference here at the Parliament lodges on Wednesday along with the MQM Senators Nasreen Jalil, Khushbakht Shujaat, Barrister Saif and Mian Atiq.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said every political party was seeking cooperation of the MQM-P for the Senate chairman elections so now they should also heal the grievances of the people of urban Sindh. He said the MQM demanded strengthening of the local government and the provincial government should give back all the powers to the local governments.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said urban areas of Sindh are financial backbone of Pakistan and if there is any economic package, Karachi has the capability to deliver. He said MQM lost its strength in Senate as one group of the MQM had established their own faction while some were forced to leave the country. “It is the main reason that we have lost our strength in the Senate due to division in our ranks,” he said.

The MQM-P (Bhadarabad) Rabita Committee Convener condemned the horse-trading in Sindh saying that it was regretted that such a worse horse-trading was made in the Sindh Assembly. “Whosoever raises his voice against horse-trading, we will stand with them”, he said adding that the people should also be involved in the struggle against the horse-trading.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also criticised the recent population census and said that around more than 15 million people of Karachi were not counted in the census and besides it the pre-poll rigging also started through the recent delimitation of the constituencies. “We will not accept delimitation of the constituencies and will challenge it in the court of law,” he said.