KARACHI: MQM-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar on Saturday warned that his party could resign from the National Assembly and move to the opposition benches if its demands are not addressed by the federal government.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Sattar said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) would not hesitate to take strong political decisions if its concerns continued to be ignored. He also questioned the removal of the party’s governor and demanded that the governorship be restored if the decision was made merely to satisfy political interests.
Referring to statements made by senior government leaders, Sattar said that Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Asif had claimed they were not involved in the removal of the MQM-backed governor. He insisted that the federal government should clarify its position and restore the constitutional balance.
The MQM leader also highlighted the issue of the party’s missing workers, stating that the names of those individuals had already been provided to the relevant authorities. He urged the government to take immediate action to recover the missing persons and ensure justice.
Sattar reiterated MQM-P’s long-standing demand that Karachi be declared a separate administrative unit and placed under the federal government’s control. According to him, such a move is necessary to improve governance, strengthen public services, and address the city’s growing administrative challenges.
He further alleged that an extra-constitutional system was operating in Sindh, accusing the provincial administration of failing to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities. Sattar warned that the time had come to mobilize citizens if the party’s demands continued to be ignored.
Appealing directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Sattar urged him to visit Karachi and personally assess the city’s problems. He called on the federal government to play its constitutional role in resolving Karachi’s governance issues and ensuring the rights of its residents.
The MQM-P leadership has indicated that its future political strategy will depend on the government’s response to these demands, with the possibility of resignations remaining on the table if no meaningful progress is made.
