MQM comfortable with delayed elections

Says although Karachi is in need of transparent elections at the earliest, if the delimitation of constituencies took weeks or months, it is not a bad deal

Nazir Siyal

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said Sunday that general elections should be held following fresh delimitation of constituencies in line with the census 2023.

“Although Karachi is in need of transparent elections at the earliest, if the delimitation of constituencies took weeks or months, it is not a bad deal,” the MQM-convener said while addressing the presser alongside party leader Farooq Sattar.

The MQM-P convener said that in the previous elections, “fake representatives were imposed” on the city.

“No one else was deprived of their right to representation the way we were,” he said, adding that Karachi is the city that needs the earliest elections.

However, he added that the elections needed to be fair, transparent, impartial, and acceptable to all.

“Who are these people who are emphasising on old constituencies instead of new constituencies?” he asked.

He added that millions of new voters have been registered in the new census, adding that delimitation of new constituencies inevitable after the new census.

Based on the most recent census, it was determined that Karachi should anticipate an increase of approximately four seats in the provincial assembly and one seat in the National Assembly. However, contingent upon whether the constituencies’ delimitation is executed at a divisional or district level, these figures could vary.

If the delimitation was carried out at the divisional level, Karachi’s provincial assembly seats could increase by four and one of the National Assembly.

Conversely, if delimitation occurs at the district level, Karachi could gain an additional three provincial assembly seats and one of the National Assembly.

The National Census report, released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on August 6, indicated that Karachi holds a share of 22.23% in the provincial assembly and 47.57% in the National Assembly seats.

In addition, the report revealed that one National Assembly seat from Shaheed Benazirabad, and two provincial assembly seats from Hyderabad, one each from Sukkur and Larkana would be reallocated to Karachi.

In District South, two seats, including one seat of the provincial assembly and one of the National Assembly would be shifted, with the remaining three seats each in districts Central, East, and Malir.

In the same presser, commenting on the hike in power tariffs and its burden on consumers, party leader Dr Farooq Sattar lashed out at the rulers, saying: “People are becoming rebels and this country is heading towards civil disobedience.”

If this trend continues, an “state within a state” will be created, he said, adding that MQM-P would stand in solidarity “wherever there is protest”.

“No single party can solve the problems of Karachi,” Dr Sattar said.

While Maqbool said that the circular debt in the power sector is due to the incompetence and failure of the government.

“They [crises] are the result of conflict between the federation and the provinces,” he said, adding that the country was facing a crisis of “intention more than an economic crisis”.