MQM Has Long Been Trying to Divide Sindh, Says PPP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders have alleged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has been engaged in efforts to divide Sindh for a long time, while demanding the immediate public release of the inquiry report into the PIMS hospital tragedy.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PPP Senator Palwasha Khan, MNA Sehar Kamran and Syed Sibte Haider Bukhari welcomed the government’s decision to withdraw the controversial IT bill.

Senator Palwasha Khan said the government had acknowledged the controversial nature of the bill and withdrawn it, a decision she welcomed. She said the credit for the withdrawal went to the public, who refused to compromise on their fundamental rights, while the PPP had also played its role in opposing the legislation.

She criticized federal ministers for strongly defending the bill, saying the PPP would continue to stand with the people whenever attempts were made to curtail their constitutional rights.

Referring to the tragic incident at PIMS, Palwasha Khan said 14 children had lost their lives. She expressed concerns that attempts could be made to destroy evidence or conceal facts and demanded that the inquiry report be made public immediately.

She questioned how the Rs22 billion received by PIMS over the past three years had been spent and called for a comprehensive audit of the funds.

Palwasha Khan alleged that there was a “nexus” surrounding the matter and questioned how a transparent investigation could be conducted under such circumstances.

MNA Sehar Kamran also demanded the immediate publication of the PIMS inquiry report. She expressed concern that lower-ranking officials could be made scapegoats while senior officials who were actually responsible were protected.

Sehar Kamran said the IT bill had been imposed on the public, arguing that a person could have faced a fine for refusing to allow a telecommunications tower to be installed on their property. She praised Senator Palwasha Khan for taking a firm position against the bill.

She also expressed reservations over the manner in which legislation was being passed in the National Assembly and called for greater transparency in the legislative process in the future.

Speaking about the PIMS tragedy, Sehar Kamran said there could be no remedy for the grief of mothers who had lost their children. Palwasha Khan alleged that senior officials at PIMS were attempting to conceal evidence.

She said the PPP would not allow the matter to be buried in files and was raising the issue forcefully in both houses of Parliament. She reiterated the demand that the inquiry report be made public and all facts be brought before the people.

On the issue of dividing Sindh, Palwasha Khan said those raising the issue could not simply be silenced. She said a resolution on the matter had been presented in the assembly and would be passed by a majority, adding that the people of Sindh also rejected any division of the province.

The PPP senator further alleged that MQM had been involved in efforts to divide Sindh for a considerable period of time.