MQM-P Leader Wasim Accuses Sindh Govt Of Violating Pact.

KARACHI -- Senior MQM-P leader and former mayor Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, on Monday accused coalition partner PPP of violating their agreement and 'stealing' his party's mandate during the first phase of Sindh's local govt elections.

The ruling PPP in Sindh and the MQM-P had signed a deal in March this year against the PTI-led government, with the former assuring the latter of meeting all its years-old demands if it supported the opposition alliance to oust the then ruling govt through a no-confidence motion, which eventually succeeded. The demands of the MQM-P agreed upon under the deal range from municipal government structure to future power-sharing formula and recruitment policy in Sindh to local policing system. The first point of the agreement named the Charter of Rights was directly related to the Sindh local govt, in which the two sides had agreed that the decision of the Supreme Court regarding local governments in a constitutional petition filed by the MQM-P would be 'implemented in letter and spirit within one month and with the mutual agreement'. Addressing a press conference in Karachi today, Akhtar recalled that his party's agreement with the PPP 'categorically' said that both sides will accept and protect each other's mandate.

'This is one of the core points that were violated by the Sindh govt in LG elections in 14 districts,' he said. Akhtar claimed that in several areas of MQM-P candidates were in lead with a 'good margin' but the results have been withheld. 'Our mandate has not been accepted'. He urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to hold a meeting with the Election Commission of Pakistan and review delimitations. Lambasting the ECP, Akhtar also...