MQM announces to postpone Karachi sit-in

• MQM has postponed the sit-in in Karachi on February 12
• Governor Sindh convinced MQM to defer the protest sit-in
• PPP had assured MQM to address their reservations

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has postponed the sit-in on February 12 against the results of the Local Government elections.

The MQM deferred the protest sit-in at the request of Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori. Addressing a press conference, MQM Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the governor came with a message from the federal government over their reservations.

“If anyone has the right to protest in this city, it is ours. But we are ready to sacrifice our political interests for national security,” he said.

Khalid Maqbool announced that his party was postponing the Karachi sit-in until the naval peace exercises were underway in the city.

He said the MQM coordination committee will hold a meeting and will decide on the new date of the sit-in after the conclusion of the naval exercises conclude.

He further said that all parties accepted irregularities in the delimitation of constituencies. He said they will not withdraw from their demand regarding the constituencies and the results of the local bodies elections.

He said that elections held in such conditions were illegal and unconstitutional. He said they will demand to get the right to representation but decide to make extreme steps due to the attitude of the Sindh government.

“The aim of our struggle is Pakistan first. Karachi is the economic, industrial and ideological capital of Pakistan. It is not our demand but the demand of this city on new constituencies,” he exclaimed.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamran Tessori said that he had urged the MQM leadership to postpone its sit-in as naval exercises were underway in the city.

He said the PPP has accepted MQM’s objection to the constituencies. He added that MQM had never taken any decision against the country’s interests.

The decision to defer the sit-in came after Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori visited MQM-P Headquarters in Bahadurabad and conveyed a message from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The PPP had contacted MQM leaders and requested them to call off its Karachi sit-in scheduled for February 12.

PPP leader Nasir Hussain Shah contacted the MQM leaders and both political parties held a meeting at Sindh Governor’s House.

The meeting was attended MQM leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar, Faisal Sabzwari, and PPP’s Nasir Hussain Shah, Murtaza Wahab in the presence of Sindh Governor.

MQM announced to stage sit-in near the Karachi Press Club and gave a one-week ultimatum to the Sindh government to address their reservations.

The party had expressed reservations regarding the delimitations and voter lists ahead of the local government (LG) polls in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions.

The MQM had eventually decided to boycott the municipal elections, paving the way for the PPP to emerge as the largest party followed by the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Also Read

MQM to stage protest sit-in against LG election results

MQM has decided to stage a protest sit-in in Karachi MQM had...