District autonomy is solution to Pakistan’s problems: Khalid Maqbool

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, on Sunday said the solution to the problems being faced by Pakistan lied in district autonomy.

“We have given a recipe for running Pakistan and moving it in the right direction, after provincial autonomy, district autonomy is the solution to Pakistan’s problems”, he said, while speaking to the MQM-P gathering in Karachi’s Jinnah Ground.

The party had organised this gathering to celebrate its victory with 17 National Assembly seats in Karachi and Hyderabad in the General Election 2024.

Without naming the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he said that in 2018, those who were given 14 seats of Karachi by snatching the MQM-P mandate never raised their voice to increase even a drop of water for the city.

He vowed, “Now there will be no fault line in this city on the basis of language, because the MQM has united everyone.”

He added: “We recovered the population of 75 million in Karachi in the census, increased 53 UCs, and fought the case of this city in power corridors.”

MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Mustafa Kamal said he had forgiven the disavowed party founder Altaf Hussain, advising him to give up the desire for leadership and choose the path of repentance.

He added, “I had held Altaf Hussain’s feet and got him treated. Today, those who are gathered around him are not his well-wishers, but still I urge him to think about his afterlife and choose to retire.”

Another senior deputy convener of the party, Dr Farooq Sattar, said that an organised, united and dynamic MQM-P had returned to Jinnah Ground after eight years.

He added that the process of developing Karachi had started, with a school being set up in the Governor’s House for 50,000 students where the best IT education would be provided to them free of charge.

He said the MQM-P fought the elections despite facing multiple challenges including those of delimitations, and emerged successful because of the confidence the Karachiites had reposed in the party.

Without naming the Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, he commented that the parties occupying the local government system in Karachi should resign. “We will also start a movement to remove this mafia from the matric and inter boards as well”, he added.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori said the process of providing best economic opportunities to the youth of the country through education had started.

He added, “The doors of the Governor’s House are open to every citizen. I will go if any party celebrates an event and invites me”.