MQM-P Calls for PPP Leaders to Resign in Sindh and Karachi Amid Conflict over City Governance

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to demand resignations from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Senior Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab at a press conference in Karachi on Tuesday.

The war of words between MQM-P and PPP leaders has intensified following the Gul Plaza incident, with lawmakers of the former party demanding Karachi’s administration be transferred to federal control. Sattar termed Shah, Inam, and Wahab as “naive friends,” suggesting they were making Bhutto-Zardari sink in a swamp.

Sattar remarked that the three had added an “enormous burden” to PPP’s ship, which could potentially lead to its sinking. He urged Bilawal to demand their resignations after consulting with President Asif Ali Zardari. Sattar emphasized that his party was not demanding resignations but merely urging Bhutto-Zardari to make the decision.

Sattar noted that the PPP has other “good individuals” who believe in dialogue and engagement as per ex-president Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and ex-premier Benazir Bhutto’s ideologies. However, Sattar expressed frustration at not meeting Bhutto-Zardari despite his repeated requests over a year.

He claimed that no such meeting was possible due to “ignorant friends” who obstructed the encounter. Sattar also criticized the PPP for failing to form a judicial commission to investigate the incident as per ex-president Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s and ex-premier Benazir Bhutto’s demands.

Sattar argued that the MQM-P did not raise questions regarding how the government was formed in Sindh during the mayoral election, but emphasized the need for independent and high-level investigation of the fire incident. He compared the Gul Plaza incident to the Battle of Waterloo and stressed the importance of a judicial commission.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory (SFDL) in identifying victims and engaging the trader community’s unions effectively. Sattar criticized the lack of a provincial disaster management plan under CM Murad’s Karachi Strategic Development Plan and suggested its establishment.

On PPP’s stance that MQM-P was politicizing the incident, Sattar stated they did not raise questions during the 72-hour incident period or make any political statements. He raised criticisms about the absent federal government’s failure to respond adequately to the fire incident at a Lahore hotel which claimed over twenty lives and alleged negligence by local officials.

Sattar also expressed hope for the federal government’s intervention in Karachi, stating they would hold a separate press conference if needed. Haider Abbas Rizvi, accompanying Sattar, interjected saying their hopes rested on the federal government’s conduct regarding the incident.