Muhajir community united under MQM-P: Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui

KARACHI : Commenting on reports which claim that efforts are afoot to forge a grand alliance of Muhajir political groups, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that the Muhajir community does not need any grand alliance as they are already united in the form of the MQM-P.

He made this statement while talking to the party’s general workers meeting in a park in Bahadurabad.

Siddiqui said that the crackdown on the party that started in 1992 and ended in 2002 had made the party stronger, instead of weaker. “But when in 2002, the party was in power and gained access to resources and government jobs, the party became weaker,” he remarked. He said that the MQM-P’s workers were the party’s strength and the state could not snatch them from the party.

Terming a new province unavoidable, he said the Muhajir community and the MQM-P would fight till the end for their identity, urban rights and respect.

Faisal Subzwari, an MQM-P's central leader, said that some elements were working on a conspiracy through an artificial group to divide the MQM-P’s vote bank and promote a perception that the party had been weakened.

“In the 2018 general polls, our seats were reduced through a conspiracy and our candidates declared running up by a margin from 300 to 3,000 votes,” he said.

He added that the MQM-P had been facing financial difficulties in organising a general workers convention. “While on the other hand, the artificial group has been spending billions of rupees to organise its rally,” said Subzwari, apparently referring to the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), which has recently demanded a ban on the MQM-P owing to its alleged links with an Indian spy agency.

He said that everyone knew about the real purpose of spending billions of rupees on the artificial party.

According to Subzwari, the MQM-P was the only political party that had been fighting the case of the residents of the urban Sindh. “Our party is in the court against the flawed and rigged census. We are fighting the case of the urban Sindh in the higher courts.”