MQM-Pakistan leader and Federal Minister for Health, Mustafa Kamal, has once again demanded that Karachi be immediately placed under federal control.  While speaking to the media, Mustafa Kamal said that an important city like Karachi should not remain under the control of what he termed an incompetent provincial government.

He stressed that Karachi should be made part of the federation without delay, adding that the federal government can take control of the city through a notification and should do so under Article 148 of the Constitution.  Referring to the Gul Plaza incident, he said that people were martyred due to negligence. “We called the negligence and poor performance at Gul Plaza an act of oppression.

If this is the reaction to calling cruelty by its name, then I say it again: Karachi must be freed from their grip,” he remarked, adding that the Sindh government’s actions had validated MQM’s stance.  Responding to a question about the withdrawal of security from MQM-Pakistan leaders, Mustafa Kamal said that his own security had also been withdrawn. “It makes no difference to us whether we have security or not.

They think they can scare us by withdrawing security. They have no right to rule Karachi, and the Sindh government cannot silence our voice through such actions,” he said.  The federal minister further stated that nationalist groups chanting slogans about breaking Pakistan while standing on highways are being provided security by the Sindh government. “Through their actions, they are destroying Pakistan,” he added. 

Mustafa Kamal said that a letter had been written to the federal government and that the issue was also being raised in cabinet meetings. “The entire federal government and the state are listening to our position. While the world is reaching the moon, our children are falling into open gutters. We are not talking about anything undemocratic or unconstitutional,” he concluded.  

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)