KARACHI: Former member of the National Assembly and National Dialogue Committee member Mahmood Moulvi has urged the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to withdraw from the federal coalition government if it is sincere about safeguarding the interests of Karachi’s residents.
In a statement issued on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Moulvi reacted to a recent press conference by senior MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar, who had warned of launching an anti-government protest movement if the party’s demands were not addressed.
Moulvi said that if MQM-P genuinely cared about the people of Karachi, it should issue the federal government a three-day ultimatum and immediately part ways with the ruling coalition.
“The party must prove that the people of Karachi are more important to it than ministerial portfolios and positions,” he said.
The former lawmaker also maintained that Karachi currently lacked an effective political force capable of playing the role of a genuine opposition, leaving citizens to grapple with longstanding civic and governance issues.
He argued that MQM-P would be in a stronger position to advocate for Karachi’s rights from the opposition benches rather than as part of the government.
His remarks came a day after Dr Farooq Sattar signalled the launch of a protest campaign against both the federal and provincial governments, saying the time had come to take to the streets over unresolved public issues.
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During his press conference, Sattar called on the federal government to take immediate steps to address MQM-P’s concerns and urged the prime minister to visit Karachi before the situation deteriorated further.
He also stressed the need for transparent and impartial local government elections in both urban and rural areas of Sindh, while identifying the gas and electricity shortages among the party’s key concerns.
MQM-P has warned that if its four core demands are not met, its 22 members in the National Assembly could consider moving to the opposition benches.
