KARACHI - Amidst political temperature feverish in wake of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) public gathering in Liaquatabad’s Tanki ground, the port city is witnessing a fight of political forces for dominance in Karachi.
The political parties have been focused on Liaquatabad, an area once considered stronghold of Muttahida Qumai Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). After PPP, MQM-P is ready to take the ground on May 5 (today), claiming that it would a huge gathering and in actual a reply to the opponent party those think that political ground has been left vacant due to the crisis within the party ranks of MQM-P. A part from this Mohajir Quami Movement-Haqqiqi (MQM-H) led by Aafaq Ahmed has chosen the venue of Liaquatabad flyover to hold party power show on May 6.
After the reunion of the MQM-P factions Bahadurabad and PIB Colony, Former Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal who led Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) has came up with the stance that party that claim to have the stake of city had once again using Mohajir card to get attention of public. In a presser Kamal stated that MQM-P feared from PSP and at the instant reciting a tale to scare people that PPP after holding public meeting would entre in their homes.
Meanwhile, on Friday anti-MQM-P graffiti has also appeared in the District Central along with banners that says that “Stop using Mohajir Card”, “Stop Running Mohajir Identity” and others by resident of Karachi.
Similarly, PPP has also not left the chance to criticise MQM-P, Saeed Ghani had held MQM responsible for destruction of Karachi by practicing ethnic based politics. Ghani has also announced holding a public gathering in Karachi to pay homage to martyrs of May 12 carnage. Furthermore, to mark the day PTI has also decided to hold a public gathering on May 12.
Commenting on the recent pace in the politics of the port city, University of Karachi (UoK) Political Science faculty member Mehboob Hassan said that sudden hue and cry of political parties in Karachi showed that they had kicked off preparations for the upcoming general elections and were blaming each other for the deteriorating civic condition of port city. He said that citizen since long has been kept waiting for solution of city civic issues, in most of the areas there is no drinking water and people were forced to live along with the piles of garbage, overflowing gutters and damaged infrastructure.
Realising unaddressed issues mainstream political parties were exploiting each other to gain people sympathy ahead of general election however no major work has been done so far by federal, provincial and local government to bring the people out of crisis, he added.
He said that city since decades Karachi has remained in control of a single political party while gradually end of MQM politics from ground level has given other political forces to take over. Recently MQM is run to regain its image while PPP, PSP, PTI, JI and MQM-Haqqiqi indulged into a chase to get benefit of MQM crisis.
However, the upcoming general election would decide who is in real going to take the stake of Karachi, he opined.