MQM-P postpones Karachi sit-in in view of naval exercises

• Sindh governor gives "important message" to MQM-P.
• Party postpones protest due to ongoing maritime exercises.
• MQM-Pakistan leaders to soon announce next date for sit-in.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) Saturday postponed its February 12 sit-in to ensure smooth intra-city movement for the visiting naval officials as the Pakistan Navy was currently hosting maritime exercises involving over 40 nations in the port city of Karachi.

The protest — against the Sindh government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — was set to be staged at Fawara Chowk near the Governor House as the party still has reservations over the delimitation of constituencies and the recently held local body elections.

The development came after Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori — an MQM-P leader — visited the party's headquarters in Bahadurabad and held a meeting with senior members in attendance.

Following the meeting, the leaders spoke to journalists, where MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the Sindh governor had visited the party's leadership with an "important message" from the federation.

Tessori, during the presser, said that peace exercises of the Pakistan Navy were in full swing and delegates from more than 40 countries were present in the port city.

In response to the message, Siddiqui mentioned that despite "all preparations being finalised" for the sit-in, the party has decided to postpone the event at the governor's request.

"MQM-P demanded that the constituencies be fixed. I have also spoken to [Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in this regard," he said.

Siddiqui added that the party had taken the step under "great compulsion". He said that if anyone has the right to protest in Karachi, it is the MQM-P, but the party gives "priority to the national interest and not to its political needs".

He said that tonight, the MQM-P Rabta Committee would hold consultations over the sit-in, and once the peace exercises are completed, the date would also be announced.

The MQM-P convener said that Karachi is the economic, industrial, and ideological capital of Pakistan to date and that its "peace is linked to the peace of the entire nation". "The development of Karachi is linked to the development of the country," he said.

Siddiqui said that in the past, many political parties had neglected the interest of the country and continued their political agenda, but MQM-P "gave up its rights to put Pakistan first".