- Maqbool Siddiqui says it’s not bad if delimitation takes weeks or months
- Sattar fears people becoming rebels and country heading towards ‘civil disobedience’
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Sunday demanded free, fair and transparent elections with the fresh delimitation of constituencies in light of digital census 2023.
“General elections should be held following fresh delimitation of constituencies,” the MQM-Pakistan convener said while addressing the presser alongside party leaders Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal.
The MQM-P leader went on to say that Karachi needs transparent elections at the earliest, but on the same hand, Siddiqui said “If the delimitation of constituencies took weeks or months, it is not a bad deal.”
“Delimitation of new constituencies inevitable after the new census,” he said.
“In the previous elections, fake representatives were imposed on the city,” Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said, adding that this time the elections needed to be fair, transparent, impartial, and acceptable to all.
“No one else was deprived of their right to representation the way we were,” he said, adding that Karachi is the city that needs the earliest elections.
However, he added that the elections needed to be fair, transparent, impartial, and acceptable to all.
“Who are these people who are emphasising on old constituencies instead of new constituencies?” he asked.
He added that millions of new voters have been registered in the new census, adding that delimitation of new constituencies inevitable after the new census.
Based on the most recent census, it was determined that Karachi should anticipate an increase of approximately four seats in the provincial assembly and one seat in the National Assembly. However, contingent upon whether the constituencies’ delimitation is executed at a divisional or district level, these figures could vary.
If the delimitation was carried out at the divisional level, Karachi’s provincial assembly seats could increase by four and one of the National Assembly.
Conversely, if delimitation occurs at the district level, Karachi could gain an additional three provincial assembly seats and one of the National Assembly.
The National Census report, released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on August 6, indicated that Karachi holds a share of 22.23% in the provincial assembly and 47.57% in the National Assembly seats.
In addition, the report revealed that one National Assembly seat from Shaheed Benazirabad, and two provincial assembly seats from Hyderabad, one each from Sukkur and Larkana would be reallocated to Karachi.
In District South, two seats, including one seat of the provincial assembly and one of the National Assembly would be shifted, with the remaining three seats each in districts Central, East, and Malir.
‘Civil disobedience looms large’
During the presser while commenting on the unprecedented hike in power tariffs, party leader Dr Farooq Sattar lambasted the rulers, saying: “People are becoming rebels and this country is heading towards civil disobedience.”
If this trend continues, “state within a state” will be created, he feared, adding that MQM-P would stand in solidarity “wherever there is protest”.
“No single party can solve the problems of Karachi,” Dr Sattar said.
While Maqbool said that the circular debt in the power sector is due to the incompetence and failure of the government.
“They [crises] are the result of conflict between the federation and the provinces,” he said, adding that the country was facing a crisis of “intention more than an economic crisis”.
During the presser, Maqbool also spoke on the rising street crimes in Karachi.
