In exchange for support to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has reportedly put forward a number of demands before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, including the creation of a new administrative unit in the province.
The situation has created a big problem for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) which wants to woo the MQM-P but is not ready to accept their critical demands.
The MQM-P has become the centre of attention after the federal government offered the top slot in Punjab to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. The Karachi-based party has seven seats in the National Assembly, making it all the more important. A senior MQM-P leader told Minute Mirror that his party wanted the creation of a separate administrative province comprising urban areas, as there was much “resentment among the people of cities where conspiracies are being hatched to turn Muhajirs into a minority”. “We also want the real devolution of powers. The Supreme Court has already delivered a verdict in this regard, and we want strict implementation on that order of the apex court.”
The leader said that in addition, the party wanted a fresh population census. “Our other demands are related to domicile, health education and civic issues,” the leader said, adding that former president Asif Ali Zardari had admitted that they were all just demands.
Sources within the MQM-P told Minute Mirror that despite agreeing with the demands, the PPP did not come up with any answer. Analysts believe that for the PPP to accept these demands would be next to impossible. Sindhi nationalists would never accept the creation of a new province comprising urban areas, as they believe that such a creation would be tantamount to damaging the territorial integrity of the province, they said, adding that the nationalists had fiercely reacted whenever the MQM-P demanded a separate province.
