MQM-P launches campaign for new administrative units with major Karachi rally planned

Karachi: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) is set to initiate a street campaign for the establishment of new administrative units, with party leader Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui declaring a "historic rally" on Sharea Faisal on November 29 as part of their push for political and administrative reforms. Speaking at a workers' convention at KMC Park in PIB Colony, Dr Siddiqui asserted that the time had arrived for the marginalized to unite against the entrenched system of feudal domination and family politics.

Numerous party members, including women, participated in the event. MQM-P officials praised the organization's success to former Karachi Tanzeemi Committee in-charge Hammad Siddiqui, who oversaw the party's affairs from the sidelines. However, senior figure Mustafa Kamal and his associates remained absent from the gathering. Dr Siddiqui, who also serves as the federal education minister, advocated for referendums under the Constitution to ascertain the will of the people regarding the formation of new administrative units in Sindh and the three other provinces.

He argued that the current provincial structure had failed to deliver inclusive governance and equitable resource distribution. "The era of feudal democracy has come to an end. The formation of new administrative units has become the destiny of the nation," he stated, adding that the rally on November 29 would mark a crucial milestone in the party's initiative.

Dr Siddiqui emphasized that the party aimed for political power and national resources to be distributed to neighborhoods and ordinary citizens instead of remaining in the hands of influential families. He contended that a democratic system could not be deemed representative if workers and ordinary people were not represented in parliament.

When questioned about the envisioned province, he mentioned that the migrants who had moved to Pakistan had sacrificed their properties in India for the sake of their new country. Dr Farooq Sattar, another prominent MQM-P leader, addressed the crowd, stating that the current four-province structure had become a means to maintain the dominance of a select group of political families.

He urged for participatory and inclusive governance at the grassroots level, arguing that administrative restructuring was necessary to tackle increasing urban challenges and public grievances. He also criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party for its mismanagement of Sindh over the past 18 years. He clarified that the proposed administrative units would not undermine Sindh's cultural identity, affirming that the party would continue to preserve Sindhi customs, such as the cap and ajrak.

Former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar encouraged workers to stay united under Dr Siddiqui's leadership, noting that the party's supporters had remained loyal to the organization during challenging times. The meeting also featured senior party members, Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi, members of the party's coordination committee, lawmakers, and numerous district East workers.