Political parties reject new district on ethnic lines

KARACHI: The Sindh government's decision to create a new district by bifurcating the District West has irked the major political parties of the city, especially Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, and Pak Sarzameen Party, who have strongly criticised the ruling Pakistan People's Party for trying to divide the city on ethnic lines, saying it will not to contribute to the city's much-needed development. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on Thursday “strongly condemned” the creation of Keamari district, saying that they reject the addition of another district on political and racial grounds. The MQM-P coordination committee said the move reflected the racist mindset of the Pakistan People's Party as it did not consult with the representatives of the urban center and particularly those Karachi before taking the decision.

The MQM-P leaders said that already the local bodies system of the city was suffering due to six districts and the addition of the seventh would amount to putting it on the verge of collapse. They said that the PPP had no stake in the city and it was attempting to encroach on the urban mandate. They called it a conspiracy to abolish the metropolitan status of the city which they would strongly resist and challenge the decision in the court.

In his reaction, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar criticized the Sindh government for the decision and termed it suffering from confusion. Akhtar said that the PPP raises the spectre of Sindh ‘Dharti Maa’ [motherland], whenever anyone talks of carving out a new province in Sindh but is now further dividing Karachi into more districts. “The seventh district would bring destruction to the city. If the new district can be formed in Karachi, a new province can also be made in Sindh which is duly constitutional," he added. The Sindh government is doing this for political gains but we will approach the courts against this action. Akhtar said that the Sindh government is sabotaging the multi-party committee formed for addressing issues of Karachi at the federal level. Akhtar lamented that Karachi's mandate lies with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan but it was not consulted by the provincial government on the issue.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karachi which has emerged as the major stakeholder after the 2018 elections with 14 National Assembly and provincial assembly seats from the city, rejected the decision to further divide Karachi and warned that the decision would force people of Sindh on the streets against the decision. The PTI President and Member Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher Zaman, while addressing a press conference at the Insaf House, said that the decision should have been taken in consultation with the stakeholders of Karachi. “What revolution will result from making Keamari a district?” he asked. He said that South and Malir districts already belong to PPP but they are suffering from more problems than other districts. “When the PPP could not perform in these two districts, what would they achieve with this new district change?” He challenged the PPP to show a single model UC which has performed best for its residents. “The PPP has started propaganda that the PTI wants to divide the province which is no true but we also stand against the division of the economic hub.”

The Pak Sarzameen Party has announced holding a protest outside the Karachi Press Club against the bifurcation of Karachi on Friday. This was announced by the party supremo Mustafa Kamal during a press conference at the Pakistan House. He said that instead of winning hearts by serving Karachi, the PPP always tried to take over the city by tearing it into pieces. "If Sindh is the motherland, then Karachi is its heart.

The PPP has split the heart into pieces," he said and added the PPP is playing a dangerous game. "I warn the Pakistan People's Party that it has laid the foundation for the division of Sindh by dividing the economic lifeline." He said that the PPP is sowing the seeds of hatred and prejudice from which the enemies of the country will benefit. "The ethnic division of Karachi is a serious concern for Pakistan's national security and we have already suffered most at the hands of such forces in the recent past with aggravated losses. Karachi is a metropolitan city inhabited by millions from every ethnic group which cannot be divided on linguistic grounds," he said. The 18th Amendment did not benefit the provinces. Instead of provinces, only one Chief Minister became autonomous, Kamal said.

The Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Hafiz Naim Ur Rehman in his opposition to the formation of the 7th district in Karachi said it is not the solution to the problems of Karachi. With six districts in Karachi already, Rehman said the addition of another district will not ensure development and prosperity of Karachi. He said today Karachi has suffered due to the long rule by PPP and their coalition partners. He said Karachi has turned into a Moenjodaro as the PPP ignored its much-needed development.