Process to ‘correct’ delimitation should start next week, demands MQMP

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Wednesday said his party will exercise its democratic right to protest, but it is giving an “opportunity to the Sindh government and the provincial election commission to rectify their mistakes and start correct demarcation of constituencies by next week”.

Addressing a press conference at the party office, Siddiqui said the provincial government had on December 31 demarcated constituencies under Section 10(1) of the Sindh Local Government Act.

The same section was withdrawn by the provincial government on January 12, and no union committee constituencies virtually existed on January 13 after the notification was withdrawn, he added. He said the LG elections were held on January 15 without any constituencies, violating the constitutional, legal and democratic rights of the people.

He also said the MQM-P represents 98 per cent of the country’s middle class. There was an action on January 15, not an election, which was also rejected by the people, he added.Siddiqui said the MQM-P has been a representative party of the urban areas of Sindh for 40 years, and it is now stronger than ever. He appealed to the Supreme Court and the high court to play their role in recognising the right representation of Karachi that runs the country with its taxes.

He said that those who participated in the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad are feeling ashamed. They sold the mandate of Karachi’s people, rather than waiting for transparent elections, he added.

MQM-P senior leader Dr Farooq Sattar said on the occasion that the election commission had not invalidated the constituencies by not accepting the notification of the provincial government.

The commission had no constitutional option of not accepting the notification of the Sindh government. “We will take every constitutional, legal and democratic way for the rights of the people.”