Tessori to contact Centre to win powers for Karachi mayor

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Monday night held an important meeting at the Governor House to discuss its final options, including whether the party should stay in the federal government.

According to party sources, the meeting was attended by MQM-P MPAs, MNA and senators.

On Friday, MQM-P convener Dr Kahlid Maqbool Siddiqui had called an important meeting on Sunday and all party MPAs, MNAs and senators were asked to attend, but due to the by-polls in two National Assembly constituencies of Karachi, the meeting was postponed to Monday.

The party sources said that after the by-polls, the MQM-P was under pressure.The development came after the newly appointed governor of Sindh, Muhammad Kamran Khan Tessori, mediated between MQM-P and Pakistan Peoples Party leaders over the implementation of Article 140A.

Last week, MQM-P leaders were expecting that the PPP-led provincial government would amend the Local Government Act 2013 to devolve powers to the mayor of Karachi. However, the PPP leaders showed no interest after the meeting.

“We have no options apart from decamping from the government. However, the Sindh governor would approach the federal government to put pressure on Sindh and devolve the powers to the mayor of Karachi,” a leader of the MQM-P told The News.