As a rift between Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the coalition government continues over the ongoing digital census, the party has sought resignations from its members of national and provincial assemblies and Senate.
According to media reports the party has reservations over the procedure of the census in Karachi and Hyderabad. In January, MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui iterated that his party had withdrawn a contract of saving and forming governments in their bid to break away from the conventional tactics to pressurise governments. Dr Siddiqui’s comments came during a presser held to rejoice over the “low turnout” in local government polls earlier this year, which it termed “rigged” in the Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.
The party was against conducting local body elections in the two divisions until new delimitation was done and had also threatened to quit the coalition government.
Meanwhile, the party has shared serious objections over census figures so far in a meeting held with members of its Coordination Committee commonly known as Rabita Committee. “The Rabita Committee expressed concerns over the non-serious attitude of rulers regarding the census,” the party spokesperson said in a statement.In the meeting, presided by Dr Siddiqui, the party members discussed inaccurate statistics despite conducting meetings with ministers and relevant authorities, and presenting evidence against irregularities. The MQM-P has been insistently against the ongoing first digital census which is the seventh national census in the country in Karachi and Hyderabad, largely sharing its concerns over Sindh government employees executing the task.
