MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar on Saturday strongly criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh government, blaming them for Karachi’s “destruction and devastation.” Speaking to ARY News, Sattar said the city’s decline is due to the PPP leadership, including the mayor. He added that President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “do not want to talk about any issue.”
Farooq Sattar accused the PPP of arrogance after gaining “immense resources and power” through the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. He recalled that MQM played a crucial role in advocating for provincial autonomy under the 18th Amendment. Sattar emphasized that this autonomy should have included proper implementation of Article 140-A, ensuring that powers and resources were transferred from provinces to cities and local governments. He claimed the PPP never honored this commitment.
Sattar alleged that the PPP has monopolized Karachi’s resources for the past 17 years and manipulated delimitations to install its preferred mayor. He further accused the provincial government, feudal elite, and the chief minister of halting development in Karachi. Roads remain in disrepair, and Sattar said the neglect is “shattering the hearts and dreams of the city’s youth.”
Highlighting the urgency of federal intervention, Farooq Sattar said that during MQM-P’s meetings with the prime minister, Ahsan Iqbal warned Shehbaz Sharif that “lava is boiling in Karachi. If it erupts, no one will be able to control the city.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had assured MQM-P that the local government amendment bill would be included in the 27th Constitutional Amendment. However, the federal coalition government passed the amendment without incorporating MQM-P’s proposals. The party strongly protested this omission, with Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal criticizing the exclusion of the local councils’ clause from the legislation.
Farooq Sattar called for immediate attention to Karachi’s governance and resources, warning that continued neglect could lead to serious consequences for Pakistan’s largest city.
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