MQM-P decides against attending APC on digital census

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has decided against attending all parties conference (APC), summoned by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on March 18 to discuss reservations over digital census, ARY News reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that MQM-P will not attend the APC – summoned to discuss reservations over digital census – due to its ‘power show’, scheduled to take place on same day (March 18) at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah.

Sources further claimed that the decision was taken in the meeting of Rabta Committee. The meeting also reviewed the preparations for the rally on March 18.

“Camps will be set up in every town and on important thoroughfares”, sources said quoting party leaders.

Earlier on March 14, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) summoned all parties conference (APC) on Friday to discuss the reservations over digital census.

The PPP will host the all-parties conference (APC) at a private hotel on Friday following the reservations over digital census tabled by political parties.

The party has invited Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and nationalist organisations to the conference. The conference will consider concerns of Sindh government on digital census, the party said in a statement.

In March, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah threatened to quit the coalition government if the province’s concerns about the digital census are not removed.

He said the census is more important and necessary than elections. The digital process is underway and he has also written a letter to the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal.

Sindh CM noted that when the errors in the maps installed in the tablets being used for census were highlighted, the Sindh govt was told that the problem will be resolved after the completion of the census.

Sindh CM requested the coalition government to not to create a situation where the census is not accepted.

A few days ago, Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hinted at tendering resignation if the Centre fails to fulfil its promises regarding the digital census and assistance to the flood victims.

He expressed concerns over the unfulfillment of promises by the Centre regarding the digital census and assistance to the flood affectees.