KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders resigned and refused to attend the legislature unless their digital census concerns were addressed.
However, party leaders disagree on whether to stay in the coalition government owing to the digital census.
The party leaders met under convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, with senior deputy conveners Syed Mustafa Kamal, Dr Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jalil, Anis Kaimkhani, Abdul Waseem, and others.
The party released two different statements after a crucial session. According to accounts, several party leaders opposed the census.
They believed that the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were gaining political strength over the census, while the MQM-P, as a coalition partner, was struggling to construct its narrative on the census with elections approaching.
The party’s first statement said the Coordination Committee examined national political and economic issues, census, and other critical matters.
The statement said the party had requested census corrections at numerous forums but was ignored. It did not address MNA resignations to the party chief. The party would shortly reveal their census strategy to the media.
Later, the party paraphrased Mustafa Kamal as claiming the gathering did not discuss the present political situation. The party’s senior deputy convener revealed that certain MNAs had resigned to the party chief and refused to attend the parliament unless the federal government and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) resolve the party’s census concerns.
Kamal also stated that the party was still part of the federal government and would support its coalition partners in difficult times. The MQM-P leader also thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal for reassuring them about the census.
MQM-P will not leave government
Dr. Sattar told that the MQM-P would not leave the government despite two contradictory comments. He said two to three party MNAs proposed to resign to the party leader. He added those MNAs told the party chief he may send their resignations to the speaker anytime.
Dr. Sattar also revealed that the party has concerns about the census because Karachi undercounted. The party had often stated that the census was a red line.
In a phone chat, Convener Maqbool and PM Shehbaz addressed Pakistan’s position.
The MQM-P leader alerted the premier of the party’s digital headcount concerns. The PM promised to resolve their issues.
