The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) threw shade at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Monday, claiming its Karachi heyday is a distant memory and the party’s past dominance is unlikely to return.
As the polls are closing in, political activities have picked up pace in the metropolis, with the MQM-P holding an impressive power show in Karachi’s iconic Bagh-e-Jinnah on Sunday. The party insists on reclaiming its prime as its breakaway factions have come under one umbrella.
During Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, PPP senior leader Saeed Ghani was of the view that “the MQM-P is done and dusted” and is not in a position to get a mandate in the port city.
“Karachiites’ confidence in the Peoples Party is increasing day by day. People will vote for us due to our five to six-year performance,” said the senior politician, adding, “The PPP will win 13 National Assembly and 28 provincial assembly seats in Karachi.”
He admitted that the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has a vote bank in the metropolis, however, they should not expect the 2018 general poll-like results, except for winning two to three seats.
JI Karachi Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that his party would emerge as the city’s “biggest” political force in the upcoming elections, claiming that the JI had “re-emerged” in recent years.
“The people of Karachi have only one choice: Jamaat-e-Islami […] there’s no other option,” Rehman, whose party emerged as the second biggest political force in the 2023 local body elections, said on the same show.
However, Naeem also said ground realities matter and the MQM-P “stands nowhere”. “No one supports the MQM-P in public opinion.”
The JI leader said that the PTI has some support in the city and so does the PPP, but not the MQM-P.
He said that the JI has raised a strong voice over the core issues of Karachiites and it would perform well after winning the mandate.
MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Mustafa Kamal came down hard on the former ruling party in Sindh while talking to the same show, saying: “If the PPP is criticising me, it means that I am doing good work.”
The PPP wanted to occupy the port city, the former Karachi mayor blamed. He challenged Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to elect a prime minister without the MQM-P, adding that those politicians delivering harsh statements would soon be seen at his party’s doors for votes.
He also slammed the PTI, saying that the Imran Khan-founded party was “given” 14 seats in Karachi during the 2018 elections. He further said that the PTI did nothing for the metropolis.
Responding to a question, Kamal offered the PTI security to their election offices in the port city.
