Karachi – The chairman of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, on Sunday described a resolution tabled in the Sindh Assembly against creating any new province as unconstitutional, immoral, undemocratic, and hostile to Pakistan, calling it a direct challenge to the federation.
Speaking at a crowded press conference at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters alongside senior leaders including Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar, Anees Qaimkhani, Ameen ul Haque, and Faisal Sabzwari, Siddiqui said the resolution was not merely symbolic but an open challenge to the unity of Pakistan.
“Does any province have the authority to pass a resolution that contradicts the Constitution of Pakistan?” he asked. “If not, under what fear or agenda was this step taken?”
He accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of attempting to divert attention from what he described as 17 years of misgovernance, corruption, and incompetence in Sindh by stoking division. Referring to the party’s historical slogan, he said its politics had begun with “Udhar tum, idhar hum,” and claimed the same mindset was reflected in the recent assembly proceedings.
Siddiqui emphasized that MQM’s demands fall within the framework of the Constitution and the law. “We are not slaves. Our only motherland is Pakistan,” he asserted.
He alleged that over 15 million people in Karachi had been deliberately undercounted in the census, despite the city accounting for 37 percent of Sindh’s population. Citing credible evidence, he claimed Karachi’s population had exceeded 40 million and called for a fresh, transparent census under military supervision. “A fair count would change the artificial demographic majority in Sindh overnight,” he said.
The MQM chief argued that the Constitution drafted under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto allows for the creation of new provinces and accused current leaders of deviating from its spirit. “If demanding a new province is treason, then what about creating districts on linguistic grounds?” he asked.
Siddiqui said Karachi, once among the fastest-developing cities in 2008, had been pushed into the list of the world’s worst cities during the PPP’s 17-year rule in Sindh. He stressed the implementation of Article 140-A, which mandates the devolution of power to local governments, calling it essential not only for Karachi but for the survival of Pakistan.
Addressing the prime minister, he said ensuring constitutional implementation is the government’s responsibility, adding that the Constitution also permits a referendum. He alleged that court rulings were being disregarded and said the Sindh Assembly resolution amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court.
Siddiqui also criticized Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, accusing him of aligning with anti-Karachi elements for political gain, and faulted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for siding with the PPP on the issue.
He warned against attempts to intimidate his party with threats of unrest. “This resolution is illegal, immoral, and undemocratic,” he said. While observing Ramadan, he added, a decisive struggle to defend the Constitution, the public, and Pakistan would follow. He asserted that if a transparent census were conducted, the demand for a new province would emerge from other regions rather than Karachi alone.
