The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) on Sunday announced a sit-in at Fawara Chowk near Karachi Press Club from February 12 against local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Announcing the sit-in during the general workers’ meeting in Karachi, MQMP convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that they will shift their Bahadurabad center to Press Club Chowk next Sunday.
He instructed the workers to prepare for the sit-in and said that we will fight the case of Karachi from February 12.
The MQMP leader said that Pakistan is at a turning point but there is no one to take decisions. He further said that economy will submerge politics, adding that now is the time for the country to fulfill the promises it made to its forefathers.
Siddiqui also announced that his party will not only participate in the upcoming by-elections on nine seats in Karachi, but also win those seats.
He said that he has withdrawn from the municipal elections but now he will have to fight for it.
MQMP boycotted local elections.
Hours before voters went to polls, the MQM-P announced a boycott of the second phase of local elections in seven districts of Sindh — including in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.
The party’s statement came as it demanded new constituencies before the local body elections were held, and despite the Sindh government’s announcement of delaying the elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) insisted that they 15 January goes on without a hitch.
The second round of local body elections was scheduled to be held on July 24 last year, but the Sindh government canceled the polls citing security and police absence due to floods. Later, the elections scheduled for August 28 and October 23 were also postponed, and finally, after much struggle, the polling was held on January 15.
At a press conference accompanied by senior party leadership, the MQMP convener said: “The municipal elections have already been rigged. Accordingly, we refuse to recognize the elections.”
Dr. Siddiqui further said that the Election Commission was created to conduct elections in a transparent manner. However, the Election Commission has not fulfilled its responsibility regarding its important work. The party protested against this injustice.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) managed to get majority seats due to MQMP’s boycott.
According to the results, People’s Party won 91 seats and Jamaat-e-Islami 85 seats.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) got 42, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) got seven, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) got two, and Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) got one. Got a seat. . One seat was also won by an independent candidate.
