Sharjeel slams ‘hate politicking in the name of dumper accidents’

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has launched a campaign to level baseless allegations against the Sindh government, claimed senior minister Sharjeel Memon on Tuesday. He stressed the need to respond to the accusations, and also criticised the “hate politicking in the name of dumper accidents”.

Memon said Karachi is a major metropolitan city, with a population greater than that of many countries. He said that in 2024 police solved 76 cases of robberies involving murders, adding that 236 suspects were arrested for injuring residents during robberies, and progress was made in 1,999 street crime cases.

According to him, success was also achieved in 170 home robbery cases, and police solved a total of 2,805 cases in 2024, arresting 116 suspects for murder and 95 for street crime.

He said that 33 suspects involved in murder were killed in police encounters, along with 36 suspected of injuring residents during robberies, 78 suspected of street crime and 19 suspected of home robberies. A total of 181 suspects were killed by police in 2024, he added.

In response to the MQM-P’s press conference, Memon said that 635 suspects in various robbery cases were killed in 2025. He claimed that police are performing their duties regularly, and that street crime is on the decline.

He said that while unrest is a common issue in major cities around the world, police are making consistent efforts in order to control the situation.

“Despite this, the MQM-P and those who have historically played a major role in creating unrest are now accusing us of the same. You have killed thousands of innocent people in the past, destroyed the lives of countless mothers, and orphaned thousands of children.”

He said that during Pervez Musharraf’s rule, when the MQM was in power, police officers who took part in operations in Karachi were deliberately targeted and martyred — an accusation levelled against the party.

He noted that a new MQM faction has emerged in the city, and they too are engaging in hate politics, attempting to incite conflict among the residents. “They have no political agenda, which is why they are trying to justify the recent accidents and create unrest.”

He referred to MQM-P senior leader Dr Farooq Sattar’s statements, in which he allegedly called for dumpers to be torched. “Some vehicles were indeed set ablaze, and the culprits were

arrested.”

Memon said Karachi is the country’s economic hub, so the provincial government would not allow the city to fall victim to unrest under any circumstances.

He asserted that the government would not bow to “political blackmail”, or allow “those attempting to disturb the peace of the city or the country to succeed in their conspiracies”. He congratulated the nation on the minerals conference being held in Islamabad, terming it a positive and welcome development. He also stressed the importance of foreign investment in Pakistan.

He noted that as the economic situation begins to improve, “certain individuals — true to their political habits — are attempting to create unrest and chaos”. “We will not allow this to happen under any circumstances.”

He said he considers MQM-P convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui a patriot and a good Pakistani. “However, I don’t wish to repeat the statements made by Mustafa Kamal about him in the past. If anyone is curious, they can find and watch what was said on YouTube.”

He claimed that development work in Karachi has only been carried out during the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) rule, and it is still ongoing. He said the MQM-P boycotted the local government elections because they saw their impending defeat clearly. They lacked the courage to contest the polls, he added.

“Who told the MQM-P to boycott the LG elections? They backed out due to fear of defeat. Even today that fear remains. But whenever the LG elections are held again, you will have to participate. Development is taking place day and night across Sindh, including Karachi.”

He highlighted key development projects completed under the PPP government’s rule, including the Omar Sharif Underpass, the Zia Mohyeddin Underpass, the Palestine Underpass, the Meena Bazaar Underpass, Jauhar Chowrangi, Fisherman Chowrangi, Munawar Chowrangi, Korangi Causeway, several overhead bridges, and road rehabilitation projects.

He also mentioned major infrastructure initiatives such as the Karachi-Thatta Dual Carriageway, the rehabilitation of Sharea Faisal, the Manzil Pump Flyover, the Drigh Road Flyover, the Mehran Hotel Underpass, the Sadequain Underpass, the Rana Liaquat Ali Flyover, the Tariq Road Underpass, the New Hub River Canal, Shahrah-e-Bhutto, and the link road connecting the Super Highway with the National Highway.

He also pointed out that the Thar coal project, which had also been launched during the PPP government’s rule, is now supplying electricity to the entire country. Memon said the Sindh government is providing the best healthcare facilities in Pakistan. Free cancer treatment is being provided through CyberKnife technology — something that is not available anywhere else in the world, he added.

He said if the MQM-P wants to voice any concerns, they should do so through the people. “If they believe they have a public mandate, let them come forward. We are ready for elections in every constituency. I am willing to resign from my seat.”

He also said the MQM-P leaders who held a press conference should resign as well, and contest the elections again. “Only then will it be clear who truly holds the people’s mandate. We have the people’s support. In every election the PPP has secured more seats than before, thanks to our public service.”

The minister said the MQM-P should refrain from indulging in violent politics. “We won’t allow them to disrupt people’s lives through chaos. Peaceful rallies are their democratic right, but we must all work together to strengthen Pakistan. The PPP is committed to putting the country on the path of development, and we want all political parties, including the MQM-P, to walk with us in this effort.”

He claimed that the MQM-P is losing public support, so as an alternative, they have resorted to hate politics in the hopes of regaining some influence. “PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has also emphasised during his speech in Larkana that all the provinces must stay united, and confront Pakistan’s challenges together.”