No agreement between MQM-P, PPP reached, says Siddiqui

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, on Friday said that his party has not reached an agreement with the Pakistan Peoples Party yet nor intended to join the government.

"MQM-P sat with the PPP leadership at the Sindh Chief Minister's House to implement the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision on empowering the local government bodies,” said Siddiqui, while talking to the media briefing at the party’s headquarters.

Siddiqui said that the MQM-P had demanded legislation according to which basic democracy could be implemented in the entire province. “No one in the country has the right to postpone or prevent the election of basic democracy,” he said.

He said the MQM-P has been struggling for the rights of Urban Sindh for several years on streets, at forums of parliament and through courts. “When the government is ready to listen to our demands, we present demands,” he said. “Now, when our demands have been justified and our rights have been recognized, there is a need to devise a way to resolve it.”

“Neither anyone has offered us the government nor it is our intention,” he said. He also said that the opposition as much as the government needs democracy. He said that the PPP will benefit more from peace in Sindh. “For MQM-P, learning to live by recognizing the right to disagreement is more important than joining an alliance.”

Siddiqui said that the country has reached an economic and political situation where democracy is under threat. “The MQM-P, pursuing the policy of tolerance, is trying to save democracy, rather than saving the government and in this regard, we have been playing and will continue to play our constitutional and democratic role in the opposition,” he said.

“The MQM-P will not take any decision against the wishes of the party’s voters, supporters and the people of Urban Sindh,” he said. “MQM-P believes it is important to build trust first for such a step,” he said. Addressing the participants of a Pashtun-Baloch Jirga held at the park adjacent to the party headquarters, Siddiqui said that there is no conflict between various ethnic communities living in Urban Sindh. Siddiqui said that the MQM-P has nominated a Pashtun as the party's parliamentary leader in Karachi city council where the party has representation of more than 75 percent. “The MQM-P has also made a Pashtun senator and made him the parliamentary leader in the Senate,” he said.