MQM-P | Pakistan

Federal Health Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal shared key features of his party’s draft constitutional amendment, proposing the disbursement of districts’ shares through the National Finance Commission (NFC) as the provinces failed to transfer funds to local bodies. He was addressing a gathering held at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Monday. Kamal said regional autonomy comes when all stakeholders are empowered and autonomous decision-making powers are devolved from the chief minister to union council chairmen. He said that there is a mechanism for disbursing funds from the federal government to the provinces, but no mechanism for transferring funds from provinces to local bodies. “It’s up to a person’s will to either grant Rs1,000 billion to someone or to grant nothing to another.” He highlighted that Article 140a of the Constitution stressed the devolution of political, administrative, and financial powers to elected local representatives. “Ever...

KARACHI - As the government has indicated to introduce the 28th Amendment, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) has once again raised its long-standing call for a new province in Sindh, unveiling plans for a public mobilisation campaign and legal steps to secure constitutional rights for urban residents.

The top leadership of the federal coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) pointed out on Thursday that constitutional provisions require the creation of new provinces after certain conditions are met, as politicking heats up ahead of a possible 28th constitutional amendment. The party claimed on Monday that its proposed constitutional amendment, aimed at empowering local governments, would now be advanced as the 28th amendment, marking what the party called a “national, not merely Karachi-centric” reform initiative which would materialise in the coming months. Speaking to reporters in Chiniot earlier, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah had also said that the 28th amendment, dealing with “public issues such as local bodies, population, the National Finance Commission … health-related issues”, could be introduced if there was political consensus. The top leadership of MQM-P addressed a press conference in Karachi today, flanked by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori,...

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday demanded that local governments (LGs) be given autonomy in the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment. After the PPP revealed key features of the proposed amendment for which the government sought its support, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said yesterday that the legislation for the tweaks will soon be tabled in Parliament. MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar presented his party’s demand today while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, alongside party leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Sattar asserted that after provincial autonomy had been granted under the 18th Amendment of 2010, the “next step naturally is local autonomy, so it’s turn must come”. “The important thing that we also said at the time of the 26th Amendment, that our constitutional amendment package be included,” he said, referring to its agreement with the PML-N to empower local governments. “But it did not happen,” Sattar lamented, calling for the matter to be included in the 27th Amendme...

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr.