Farooq Sattar blames PPP for Karachi’s destruction, calls for federal intervention

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr. Farooq Sattar on Saturday sharply criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh government, holding them responsible for what he called the “destruction and devastation of Karachi.”

Speaking to ARY News, Sattar said the PPP’s leadership—including the mayor—had pushed Karachi into its current state of decline. He added that President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “do not want to talk about any issue.”

Sattar accused the PPP of displaying arrogance after gaining “immense resources and power” through the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. He reminded the party that it was MQM that fought for provincial autonomy and played a significant role in the 18th Amendment.

“However, this autonomy was tied to a correct interpretation of Article 140-A, under which powers and resources were to be transferred from the province to cities, districts, and local governments,” he said. “PPP never fulfilled this commitment.”

He alleged that the PPP had monopolized Karachi’s resources for the last 17 years and “manipulated delimitations to install its own mayor.”

According to Sattar, the provincial government, feudal elite, and the chief minister have “frozen all development in Karachi,” leaving not only roads in disrepair but also “shattering the hearts and dreams of the city’s youth.”

Calling for urgent federal intervention, 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.”

Notably, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier accepted MQM-P’s demand and assured the party that the local government amendment bill would be incorporated into the 27th Constitutional Amendment and forwarded to the parliamentary committee.

However, the federal coalition government passed the amendment without including MQM-P’s proposals. The party expressed strong resentment over the omission, and Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal protested the exclusion of the local councils’ clause from the proposed legislation.