MQM-P boycotts 'Karachi Bahali Committee' meeting chaired by Asad Umar

MQM-P boycotts 'Karachi Bahali Committee' meeting chaired by Asad Umar

KARACHI (Dunya News) – After the announcement of resignation by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui from his post as Minister for Information Technology, the MQM-P has boycotted Karachi Bahali Committee meeting that was held today (Monday).

The meeting of Karachi Bahali Committee was presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar at the Governor House.

According to sources, the MQM-P has excused itself from participating in the Bahali Committee meeting. Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Faisal Sabzwari and Kanwar Naveed Jamil were to attend the meeting.

During the meeting, a detailed discussion was carried on the ongoing and upcoming development projects by the federal government in the metropolis. Earlier, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior politician Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi on Sunday announced his resignation as the Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication over certain reservations with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) government.

While holding a press conference in Karachi, the MQM-P leader stated, however, the party would continue to coordinate with the government.

“We had facilitated the formation of this PTI government, and we are not stepping back from our support to this government […] but under these circumstances, it is not possible for me to sit in the ministership,” he said.

Mr Siddiqi asserted that his party would continue to support the democratic process, however, lamented that his sitting in the federal cabinet was “useless”.

"The lack of seriousness on these matters left us no choice," he said, adding that MQM-P’s Rabita Committee (Coordination Committee) had held a detailed discussion on Friday after which they had concluded that it was useless for him to hold the minister’s post.

“We had asked for two ministries, one of which is still being sought from the government,” Mr Siddiqi stated.

“We hadn’t ask for the law ministry, and the two names [referred to the government] did not include Farogh Naseem’s name [as the Federal Minister of Law and Justice],” he regretted.

The MQM-P leader recalled that “contracts” were signed between his party and the PTI government in the presence of Jahangir Khan Tareen at Bani Gala in Islamabad, and Bahadurabad in Karachi.

Mr Siddiqi reiterated that outstanding issues of Sindh’s urban areas were not being resolved, and that after 16-17 months, not even one point regarding the conditions in Sindh had seen progress.

"At this point, it becomes difficult for me to remain in the government, that I [continue to] hold a minister’s position, and people in Sindh continue to face the conditions they did before we joined the [federal] government." "We have fulfilled our promise and intend to fulfill our promise," he said.

However, he asked that if the city was subjected to unjust treatment, then to what extent his party would be able to cooperate.

He pointed out that for the metropolitan city of Karachi that generates thousands of billions of rupees, not even one billion rupees were being released.

“We can collect one billion even by collecting donations […] at first [the government] seemed inexperience, but now it is exhibiting lack of seriousness,” he added.