Political jockeying speeds up

KARACHI: Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday agreed that the province’s population in the 2017 exercise was not documented correctly and demanded the federal government to conduct a fresh census in the province.

A PPP delegation consisting of provincial minister Saeed Ghani, senior leaders Taj Haider and Waqar Mehdi met the MQM-P leaders at its temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad area to discuss the federal government’s move to approve the 2017 census, the current political situation in the country, upcoming Senate elections and other matters.

According to sources, PPP also contacted Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and offered an alliance. Faisal Sabzwari, Khawaja Izharul Hasan, Javed Hanif and Muhammad Hussain represented the MQM-P in the meeting that lasted more than an hour.

Both parties have also agreed that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will raise the issue in the Council of Common Interests (CCI). While talking to the media after the meeting, leaders of both the parties announced to continue contacts in future and demanded the government implement the agreement among the parliamentary parties on the correctness of the census. “Both parties have their own disagreements on several issues but on the common issues, such as the census, we should continue the discussions to resolve them,” said Taj Haider, PPP central leader.

Haider claimed that around 14 million population of Karachi was not counted in the 2017 census and because of it, the province was deprived of due resources and representation in Parliament based on its population.

He said that people belonging to other provinces but living in Sindh were not counted in the census properly and, therefore, the government should recount the population in five percent randomly-selected blocks.

“The MQM-P and PPP have also the same position over the islands’ issue and admission in medical colleges," he said. Haider said that the local government act was also discussed with the MQM-P leaders.

MQM-P’s Sabzwari said that his party was thankful to the PPP for addressing the census issue with consistency. “We are not playing politics on issues that are related to the betterment of people,” he said. He said that before the start of the census, the MQM-P had filed a petition in the court and showed their reservations about the counting process. “The census results proved our reservation correct,” he said.

The MQM-P leader said that the prime minister had also formed a committee to look into the matter of census. Sabzwari said that residents of Karachi, Hyderabad, and other urban centers completely rejected the census results and it would remain suspicious until the population of the province was correctly counted. He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also contacted the MQM-P. “We have clearly told them that conducting a new census was the first part of our agreement to join the coalition government in the Centre.”

Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Maryam Nawaz held a lengthy meeting in the federal capital to discuss proposals of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and situation arising out of Khawaja Asif’s arrest.

Maryam Nawaz who reached Islamabad only a day before met head of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Maulana Fazlur Reham at his residence.

Talking to newsmen Fazlur Rehman said the proposal floated by the PPP CEC would be taken up for discussion at PDM heads meeting to be held at Raiwand in Lahore on January 1. “The PPP CEC has demonstrated a positive attitude,” he said.

He said they both discussed many issues saying that final decisions would be taken at PDM heads meeting in Lahore. Maryam Nawaz while responding to a question about decisions of the PPP CEC, said first PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be listened to at the PDM meeting and then any decision would be taken with mutual consultation. “I will not speak only on assumptions,” she said.

She maintained that all parties would accept the PDM decisions saying that there should be no speculations. To a question about cancellation of Nawaz Sharif’s passport as stated by the Interior Minister, Maryam said it was support of 220 million people of the country which was passport of party Quaid.

Fazlur Rehman while condemning arrest of Khawaja Asif said it was continuation of victimisation of opposition leaders at the hands of NAB. “We not only condemn but will also hold protest demonstrations against NAB’s action,” he said. Fazlur Rehman told a questioner that neither he had any plans to visit Garhi Khuda Bux on December 27 nor he was invited there.