Daily Times

At a press conference held on Monday, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), stated that democracy and feudalism cannot coexist in Pakistan.

He stated that his party has faced numerous challenges, and it is time for the people of Pakistan to take charge of their own destiny instead of waiting for their rulers to do so. Siddiqui also spoke out against the bribery of senators in Pakistan, stating that some senators are being paid between Rs40 crore to Rs72 crore. He emphasised that MQM-P sent two school teachers as senators, who came from lower-middle-class backgrounds.

He also noted that during his four terms as a Member of National Assembly (MNA), he did not spend a single rupee on his election campaign. The MQM-P convener defended his party against allegations of corruption, stating that the party collects donations from its members and adds them up to support the party’s activities. He also stressed that if the allegations against MQM-P were true, the party leaders would not be sitting in front of the media.

Siddiqui expressed concern for the thousands of boys who were killed extra-judicially in 1992, stating that it was at that time that MQM began to emerge in Punjab. He believes that if the message of MQM is heard in Punjab, it can change the fate of not only the region but also the entire country. He called MQM-P an ideological organisation. Finally, the convener highlighted the worries of farmers and laborers in the country, stating that capitalists are the only ones who are happy with the current state of affairs. He called for new approaches to be adopted to change the fate of the country, stressing that old methods and prescriptions have proven to be ineffective.