Pakistan: MQM-P to hold sit-in against local govt elections in Karachi, Hyderabad subdivisions

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 6 (ANI): The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan on Sunday announced that they will hold a sit-in against the local government (LG) polls in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions of Sindh at Press Club Chowk from February 12, The News International reported.

Khalid Maqbool made the announcement regarding a sit-in against the LG polls at Press Club Chowk on February 12. Maqbool said they would move their Bahadurabad centre to Press Club Chowk next Sunday. MQM-P Convenor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that Pakistan is at a critical junction, however, there is no one to take decisions. Addressing the general workers meeting in Karachi, he said that the economy will sink politics and added that “the time has come to fulfil the promise we made to our forefathers,” The News International reported.

The MQM-P chief said that his party will participate in the by-polls in the nine Karachi seats and will win those seats. The seats were vacated after the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf accepted the resignations of all Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of the National Assembly. The MQM-P chief said they had “given up” the local body elections and now have to fight for their mandate.

The MQM-P chief stressed that the local government poll results in Karachi showed who wants to win the polls at the expense of the people, according to The News International report. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui urged the workers to prepare for the protests in the coming week and added that they will fight Karachi’s case from February 12. Notably, the MQM-P boycotted the second phase of local body elections in Sindh over reservations and concerns regarding delimitations, particularly in the two cities which are considered the MQM-P’s major vote banks.

Speaking at a press conference alongside the party’s senior leadership, Khalid Maqbool said that “the local body elections have already been rigged. Accordingly, we refuse to recognise the polls,” as per the news report. Khalid Maqbool stressed that the election commission was formed to carry out polls in a transparent manner. However, he said that Pakistan’s Election Commission has not fulfilled its responsibility towards its main function, according to The News International report.

In the elections held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was leading the charts while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) trailing behind. The Pakistan People’s Party secured 91 seats and Jamaat-e-Islami won 85 seats, according to the results.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured the win in 42, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seven, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) two, and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) one. An Independent candidate secured the win in one seat.