The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has reiterated its demand for the creation of new administrative units in Sindh, maintaining that decentralising authority is necessary to resolve persistent civic and governance problems in Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban centres.
MQM-P Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui raised the issue during a meeting with legal professionals and party representatives at the organisation’s Bahadurabad headquarters.
“Establishing new and empowered administrative units is the biggest challenge and the solution to ensuring that people receive their rights at their doorstep,” Siddiqui told participants.
The meeting was attended by members of the Muttahida Lawyers Forum, the party’s Legal Aid Committee and several prominent legal experts.
Senior MQM-P leader Wasim Akhtar, former judge Qazi Khalid and other party officials were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Siddiqui argued that the continued concentration of administrative powers and inadequate provision of basic services had contributed to growing dissatisfaction among residents of Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban districts.
He maintained that restructuring administrative arrangements would help improve governance, strengthen public institutions and make essential services more accessible to citizens.
The discussions also focused on constitutional reforms, weaknesses in existing legislation and the functioning of the judicial system.
Legal specialists briefed MQM-P leaders on provisions and procedural shortcomings they believed could be used to deny citizens their rights.
They presented proposed legal amendments and recommendations intended to address these gaps and strengthen constitutional protections.
Participants further emphasised the importance of judicial reforms aimed at making justice more accessible, affordable, transparent and timely, particularly for economically disadvantaged and marginalised communities.
Members of the party’s Legal Aid Committee pledged to enhance legal assistance for individuals experiencing difficulties in pursuing cases or obtaining judicial relief.
The meeting also reviewed the legal circumstances of detained MQM-P activists and discussed possible strategies for securing their release through the courts.
Concluding the discussions, party leaders and legal experts reaffirmed their intention to pursue the demand for new administrative units and broader institutional reforms through political, constitutional and legal channels.
MQM-P maintains that greater decentralisation and empowered local administrative structures are essential to addressing longstanding governance challenges in Sindh’s urban areas.