While the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) on Saturday defended the restoration of the commissionerate system in Sindh, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) threatened to opt for a civil disobedience movement.
“The MQM will oppose the old system in a democratic manner and can opt for even civil disobedience movement if the government tried to push the party to the wall, said Senator Col (retd) Tahir Mashhadi while talking to Pakistan Today.
Commenting on the promulgation of the ordinance, MQM Senator Col (Retd) Tahir Mashhadi said that the parties supporting the division of the city of Karachi into five districts intended to encroach upon the vote bank of MQM through unfair delimiting local bodies’ constituencies.
“They represent the feudal class, not the common man, and want to deprive the MQM of its vote bank because they know that the MQM cannot be defeated through fair elections. Now they have designed a plan to revive the old commissionerate and delimit the local bodies’ constituencies in an unfair manner to encroach upon the MQM vote bank”, Mushhidi said.
However, secretary general of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh chapter Taj Haider fully defended the promulgation of the ordinance issued by acting Sindh governor to reverse the local government system in the province.
He said it was the ‘Musharraf-tailored’ local government system introduced in violation to the constitution. He said that under the constitution, no indirectly elected individual could exercise financial and executive powers.
“Under the constitution, no member of the Senate could be elected as prime minister as the senators are elected indirectly. Likewise, since a district nazim was not elected directly and town nazims elect him or her, he or she could not exercise executive and financial powers,” Haider added.
The PPP leader said there was another legal hitch in the system that it had multiple member constituencies while under the constitution there was the only provision of single member constituencies.
“Under the previous system, even all the 13 councillors could be elected from one street which was against the spirit of local electorate system as every constituency should have at least one representative,” he added.
He said the local government system also had bypassed the respective provincial government which was again unconstitutional. He said there was also no legislative list in the Musharraf’s system which was again in violation to the constitution. He said that the ordinance would not be reversed even in the wake of another political alliance with the MQM.
Meanwhile, ANP Sindh Chief Shahi Sayed said that the Muhajir community wanted to keep Pakhtuns, Balochis and Punjabis hostages through administrative means.
“The Urdu speaking people are in majority only in central parts of the city neither in Malir and southern parts and if the commissionerate system is restored the city again will again be divided into five districts”, he observed. As per demography, MQM will have majority only in two districts then, he added.
He said reviving the old system would empower people to resolve their issues.
As it is widely perceived MQM thrives on violence. Threat of civil disobedience is not going to work. Military dictator Mush, who was nick named as MQM sector incharge of Islamabad, with his dictatorial powers changed the constituencies of Karachi and Hyderabad in such a way that many seats which were solid PPP seats were done away with. Musharraf gave free hand to MQM and he had no qualms about that. MQM derived maximum benefit out of. Mustafa Kamal played havoc with the billions of rupees. It is very unfortunate that there was no audit of CDGK and Huderabad.
It is now obvious that by changing name from mohajir to mutahida does not make MQM a national mainstream party. It is by all definitions a narrow minded party which in fact is a liguist and ethnic party. The other source of power of this party is its organisation on fascist line where there is no place for opposition.
Ever since its inception Sindh has not seen peace. MQM with the help of Musharraf and its high handed tactics managed to get seats in the parliament and Sindh Assembly in the numbers which it could never hat got without support of Musharraf and change in constituencies in Karachi.
Asif Ali Zardari took MQM on board pursuing a policy of 'reconciliation' and the whole world witnessed MQM's repeated blackmails and continued policy of violence and extortion.
The media is to blame as well. Imagine Altaf Hussain's cronies announce that he was to deliver a speech by telephone. The TV channels dutifully will ignore any other event of national importance and would show the disciples of Altaf Hussain sitting in obedience befor the mikes. Here comes Pir Sahib whose thunders woudl be heard by the audience whether one likes it or not.
MQM's threat of civil disobedience will backfire on them. People of Sindh in general and Karachi in particular are fed up with strikes which deprive livelihood of millions of citizens of Karachi. For God sake, Altaf Hussain, have mercy on people.
Lastly, I strongly believe that if the government of the United Kingdom withdraws support from MQM supremo who is enjoying British hospitality and pulling strings from his den in London and destroying peace the peace will return to the city rapidly with days not weeks. All British government has to do to tell Altaf to shut up, stop delivering speeches via telephone and refer him to the Scotland Yard where a file is already lying dusted in which his deeds with graphic details unactioned.
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