KARACHI: In an active campaign to make its Jan 9 protest rally a success, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday called on all political parties including its rivals to join its voice against “injustices with urban Sindh” where the provincial government was determined to hold local government elections under the existing delimitation.

An MQM-P delegation led by its convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui visited the headquarters of the Jamaat-i-Islami and extended its city chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman an invitation to attend the Jan 9 protest that would be held to demand fresh delimitation before the local government polls in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Hafiz Naeem while agreeing with the MQM-P concerns over the delimitation reiterated his demand for elections on Jan 15 without any further delay. Dr Siddiqi while talking to reporters negated the impression that his party wanted to delay the polls for political gains.

“The municipal elections should be held as soon as possible. However, the issue of a transparent census and unfair delimitation of constituencies should be resolved,” he demanded, saying: “The general elections should not be held until the local elections are held.”

Earlier on Tuesday night, the MQM-P leaders led by convenor Dr Siddiqi visited the headquarters of the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) and met its chairman Mustafa Kamal. Dr Siddiqui thanked him for a “warm welcome” and said that the time has come for all of the party factions to emerge from political imperatives and unite for a common struggle.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023