By Ahsan Mughal
KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has officially launched a public campaign under the banner of ‘Save Karachi,’ aimed at drawing attention to the city’s pressing administrative, economic, and social challenges.
The campaign was announced at a key meeting held on Monday at a park adjacent to the MQM-P headquarters in Bahadurabad, attended by senior party leaders, town union representatives, central department heads, and a large number of right-leaning members of the national and provincial assemblies.
Addressing the gathering, MQM-P chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the responsibility to act fell on everyone, emphasizing that the city had long been targeted by those seeking its destruction. He said: “Karachi does not belong to the oppressed; it belongs to those who fight for freedom. Pakistan is our love, and the time has come to step out of our homes. The weight of a hundred thousand signatures is more than the country’s justice system can bear.”
Dr Siddiqui added that the city’s challenges must be met by proactive measures, echoing the party’s longstanding stance that Karachi’s welfare is central to Pakistan’s survival. Senior central leader Dr Farooq Sattar said the journey from raising a voice to mobilizing collective action must continue. He warned that Karachi’s current situation had forced the ruling establishment to rethink its strategies, noting that economic recovery and national progress were contingent on saving the city.
The meeting also stressed that issues such as fake domicile certificates were undermining the educational, economic, and social prospects of Karachi’s youth. Dr Sattar indicated that MQM-P would soon announce a new strategy to address these challenges. Central leader Haider Abbas Rizvi praised party workers for their efforts in gathering signatures, stating that petitions with over a hundred thousand endorsements gain global recognition.
Rizvi added that MQM-P would continue to ensure that the voices of Karachi were amplified in all provincial assemblies, and urged leaders and workers to play an active role in highlighting the city’s problems. The meeting saw the participation of senior central leader Syed Amin Haque, COC in-charge Furqan Atyab, central committee members, and a significant number of pro-rights national and provincial legislators.
The party said it aims to engage individuals from all walks of life in its campaign to safeguard Karachi’s interests and future.
