The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has demanded that Karachi be placed under federal control and declared the country’s economic capital.According to the report, MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener and Federal Minister of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, addressed a press conference on Thursday and said that Karachi should immediately be made the economic capital of Pakistan and brought directly under the control of the federation.

He expressed a deep sorrow, grief and anger over the recent Gul Plaza tragedy in Karachi, where dozens of people were burnt alive, several others injured, and around 1,200 shops damaged after a massive fire led to the collapse of the building. Mustafa Kamal said the city could no longer bear such losses. He said that the people of Karachi were looking towards the state for protection and governance. “How much more blood are we expected to give, how many more tragedies must we endure, and how many more bodies must we offer?” he asked.

While lamenting the Gul Plaza incident, he questioned who would guarantee that it would be the last such tragedy in Karachi.The MQM-P leader said the city was witnessing killings, children were falling into open gutters and manholes, and yet there was no effective governance to address these issues. He further said that the 18th Constitutional Amendment was doing genocide to Karachiites and claimed that the amendment had brought no real benefit to the common people, particularly those living in Karachi.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)