Resolution follows Mustafa Kamal’s recent remarks, calling for federal control and economic capital status for Karachi
KARACHI:
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) on Sunday condemned a resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly rejecting the creation of a new province, calling it “against the Constitution of Pakistan” and a threat to national unity.
The Sindh Assembly, a day earlier, adopted a resolution declaring that Karachi “is and will remain” an integral and inseparable part of Sindh, amid renewed debate over the city’s constitutional status.
The resolution, presented by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), followed recent remarks by MQM-P leader and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, who called for Karachi to be declared Pakistan’s economic capital and placed under federal control.
Kamal argued that the city had paid an “unbearable price” for political compromises made elsewhere and demanded that it be declared a federal territory under Articles 148 and 149 of the Constitution. He also called for Karachi to be formally recognised as the country’s economic capital within the existing constitutional framework.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said Pakistan had entered a “decisive phase” and urged lawmakers to respect the Constitution.
He questioned whether a provincial assembly had the authority to adopt measures contrary to constitutional provisions and accused the Sindh Assembly of acting as if it were above the law.
Siddiqui rejected separatist ideas, saying “Pakistan is our motherland” and adding that any concept of Sindhudesh would not succeed as long as MQM-P existed.
He accused the PPP of introducing the resolution out of political fear and of seeking to retain power through what he described as a “manufactured majority” and flawed census figures.
Siddiqui further claimed Karachi’s population had been undercounted by 37% in the latest census and called for a fresh count under the supervision of the Pakistan Army, saying accurate data could reshape Sindh’s political and economic future.
“MQM has never taken any step against Pakistan. The party’s founder once raised a slogan, but we have long abandoned him. Our first and foremost loyalty is to Pakistan,” he said. “Although Sindh is the country’s wealthiest province, it has also seen the highest rise in poverty,” he added.
Siddiqui accused the provincial government of misusing federal funds and said that of the Rs30 trillion received from Islamabad, at least half should have been allocated to Karachi.
Citing Articles 239(4) and 140-A of the Constitution, he said the law allowed for the creation of new provinces and empowered local governments. He accused the PPP of failing to implement these provisions, including by not devolving powers to the elected mayor.
“Any attempt to divide the country on linguistic, ethnic or provincial lines will be firmly opposed,” he said.
PPP response
Reacting to the MQM-P press conference, senior PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon described it as a “clear display of their lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity with the Constitution of Pakistan.”
Memon said Siddiqui and Kamal, both federal ministers, had not adequately studied the Constitution or relevant laws. “Had they done so, they would have refrained from making such irresponsible statements,” he said, questioning whether their remarks reflected official federal government policy.
He urged the federal government to clarify why two of its ministers and an allied party were, in his words, engaged in propaganda against the Sindh government.
Memon also said the Governor House was a constitutional institution and should not be used for political confrontation against the provincial administration. “It is unwise to create tensions between the federation and the provinces at such a critical time,” he said, calling for immediate clarification from federal authorities.
