Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Backs MQM-P New Provinces, Denies Decline

MQM-P – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The MQM-P new provinces demand is once again making headlines. Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the party’s chairman and a federal minister, says Pakistan’s growing population makes new provinces necessary. He shared these views during an interview with Geo News while visiting Dallas.

Siddiqui believes the country needs a stronger third tier of government. In his view, this would help ordinary people feel the real benefits of democracy. Right now, he says, most decisions stay stuck at the top.

He compared this idea to something simple. Just as new districts and divisions get created when population grows, provinces should grow too. It’s not a new concept, he explained, just one that Pakistan has ignored for too long.

Siddiqui pushed back against critics who call this demand pure political noise. He insists it’s a practical need, not a slogan. Local communities, he said, deserve real authority over their own affairs.

He also took aim at how provinces were originally divided. Splitting regions based on language, he argued, has done more harm than good. It deepened social divides instead of bringing people together.

Karachi’s Role Takes Center Stage

Much of the conversation turned to Karachi. Siddiqui questioned how the city became part of Sindh after once serving as Pakistan’s federal capital. He wants this history looked at through proper democratic and constitutional channels, with public input included.

He didn’t hold back on Karachi’s economic importance either. “Karachi runs, and the whole country is sustained,” he said. Any move against the city, he warned, is really a move against Pakistan itself.

Siddiqui also addressed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s role in Sindh. He rejected the idea that PPP owns democracy or the province. He described Sindh’s political setup as feudal, meaning power still sits with a few families rather than the people.

Party Unity Questioned

Reporters asked if MQM had weakened after years of internal splits. Siddiqui firmly disagreed. He said 80 to 90 percent of party workers remain united, even after individual leaders went separate ways.

He believes those who left under pressure could return once that pressure eases. For him, a political movement isn’t broken just because a few names change.

On the 2018 elections, Siddiqui claimed MQM lost seats through unfair manipulation. When asked about life after Altaf Hussain, he avoided naming him directly. Instead, he called MQM an ideological movement, not a family-run party.

“It belongs to the workers, and the workers are running it,” he said firmly.

Form 47 Allegations Rejected

Siddiqui strongly denied claims that MQM-P’s recent wins came from Form 47 rigging. He pointed out the party has won Karachi seats for four decades straight. Anyone who disagrees, he said, should take it to court instead of making accusations.

His closing line summed up his stance well: “Our identity is not Form 47. Our identity is 1947.”

The interview grew more intense when questions touched on internal party rifts and the split from Altaf Hussain. Still, Siddiqui stood firm, insisting MQM-P’s support base remains strong despite years of pressure and division.