Daily Times

MQM-P has been over and defied by the Urdu speaking communities since in the general and the by-polls, Urdu speaking communities proved, showed and expressed that they are no longer going to believe in the ideology behind Muhajirs.

70 percent of the metropolis is Urdu-Speaking whereas 30 percent of the majority includes Pashtun, Sindhi and Punjabi speaking. Although, Pashtuns are now the city’s second largest ethnic group after Muhajirs.

Alamgir Khan Mehsud has been elected from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for NA-243 in Karachi in the by polls. Him securing the NA seat provides evidence to the chauvinism of backward Pakistanis, the Muhajir majority city elected the man who is from the Mehsud tribe.

In the second session of the by-elections another bigwig from PTI Aftab Siddiqui comfortably won the by-election in NA-247, which is the most significant and attention-grabbing hub in metropolis.

Seeing that the Malir PS-87 result; MQM-P must now forget to enter in the Malir as PPP won the local government elections from Malir, and formed the district council because of its success from the area. Now the seat of PS has gone to PPP and MQM-P lost another seat.

Late General Ziaul Haq made an effort to do something to weaken the PPP and other political parties, that is why he increased the number of National Assembly seats for Karachi to 13. At that time, the multifaceted work of arts of many nominees from religious parties and independent applicants came in non-party exercise for a so-called Majlis-e-Shoora in 1985.

During MQM-P’s golden age, after the death of General in the plane crash of 1988, MQM emerged as a powerful factor, and demolished the myth of fanaticism.

MQM’s secular philosophy and support for the liberation of Urdu-speaking migrants seemed like a massive cyclone had hit the polls that took the length and breadth of urban Sindh. It enabled the newly emerging force of youngsters from universities and colleges to win 10 of the 13 Karachi seats of National Assembly, and both the seats from Hyderabad.

Hyderabad, the sixth largest city of Pakistan and amongst the oldest cities of South Asia was politically occupied by Muhajirs. The vast spread of MQM-P which was based on providing rights to Urdu-speaking communities; created malice in the heart of those who had been living in the Sindh for centuries.

It made MQM-P more powerful in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and some areas of Rahim Yar Khan, but the philosophy which was based on providing rights to the disserved was wrongfully utilized and created abhorrence.

The Musharraf regime introduced genuine reforms in the system, including the devolution plan, and the police order of 2002, increasing Karachi’s seats to 20, and of Hyderabad’s to six

The Musharraf regime introduced genuine reforms in the system, including the devolution plan, and the police order of 2002, increasing Karachi’s seats to 20, and of Hyderabad’s to six. However, MQM went on to win 17 in Karachi, and all six in Hyderabad in 2002, never looking back even in 2008 and 2013 elections.

MQM-P is standing in need for reviewing its strategy, reorganize itself, and find a more convincing way to re-assert it authority.

Now, PTI’s 17 seats in National Assembly from Karachi and MQM-P’s 4 uncovered the reality of so many faces hidden under the name of Muhajirs.

MQM-P’s main contenders like Ali Raza Abidi, Farooq Sattar, and PSP’s founder and Chairperson Mustafa Kamal’s defeat in elections shows that the people of Karachi want change.

In the bypolls in NA-247, PTI’s Aftab Siddiqui’s 32454 votes and MQM-P’s Sadiq Iftikhar 14114 votes; let MQM-P know that people don’t believe in linguists but humanity.

In the by polls in NA-243, even though there was a 20 percent turnout, PTI’s Alamgir Khan won with a big lead from the MQM-P’s strong candidate Amir Wali uddin Chishti. Alamgir Khan won with more than 35-thousand votes and the Muhajir based party leader received about 15-thousand.

MQM-P, MQM-Haqiqi, PSP’s resentments over rigging in the general election of 2018 and in the by-elections are useless, since PTI got votes and got seats in bulk because the majority of Urdu-speaking voted for Tabdeeli ‘Change’.

The Urdu speaking community voted for PTI’s candidates regardless of which community they were from. Muhajirs are the backbone of Pakistan when it comes to trade, fashion, business, giving charity and creating peace, so we should take their opinions into account.

However, the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail, the Minister Of Port & Shipping Syed Ali Haider Zaidi and the Sindh Opposition Leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi are also Urdu-Speaking and Karachiites through and through.

Finally, Karachiites with a broad mind set can execute anything; in my opinion if PTI cheats the largest financial hub of Pakistan, they won’t be able to retain their seats in the general election of 2023.

Writer is a correspondent, Daily Times and tweets at @maferozi

Published in Daily Times, October 31^st 2018.