MQM-P mulling breaking away from PTI cabinet, says Waseem Akhtar

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and former port city mayor Waseem Akhtar said Tuesday that his party, currently in the treasury seats enjoying alliance with the ruling party, is long-mulling parting ways with them as Karachi people who voted them still await any progress, ARY News reported.

In an exclusive interview tonight, with ARY’s Har Lamha Purjosh program, the former mayor of Karachi said despite being allies with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf since the beginning, the MQM-P was still not allowed to operate from its political offices in Karachi.

We forged the alliance for nothing more than the redressal of Karachi issues but PTI has failed at it, he said.

However, Akhtar added that the idea they are contemplating is to relinquish their seats in the PTI cabinet and not from the treasury seats altogether. The alliance with PTI was wroght in the time of need, he said.

Separately on the question of turncoats who deserted the party as it now stands, he said the party belonged to everyone and anyone can join it.

Says Ishrat ul Ebad, Mustafa Kamal and Farooq Sattar can all join the party back as MQM-P belongs to everyone equally.

If TLP politics is restored, why isn’t MQM-P’s? Asks Khalid Maqbool

Earlier yesterday, the MQM-P Convenor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said during the Parliamentary Committee meeting on National Security that if Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) can be restored to exercise its political rights, then his party should also be allowed to reopen its offices across Karachi.

If you can de-proscribe TLP then what’s wrong with allowing MQM-P the status of a filly restored political party with the right to open its offices and conduct political activities? Asked Siddiqui during the parliamentary huddle.

We demand our workers to be released and our offices to be allowed operations, said MQM-P during the in-camera session where Prime Minister Imran Khan was not present to chair it