HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has called for the creation of new provinces in the country, saying that no province belongs to any individual or group and that Pakistan's growing population requires new administrative units. Addressing a Defence Day gathering in Hyderabad on Sunday, Siddiqui said the Constitution recognised the need for provinces as the population increased. He remarked that the country's administrative structure needed to be reorganised and stressed that what could never be divided was Pakistan, and everything else was an administrative unit.

Dr. Siddiqui said the MQM-P's struggle for new provinces had already begun and when new provinces would be created across Pakistan, the areas where the MQM-P enjoyed political support would also get one. He urged the people to stand against those who had kept Pakistan's population as subjects for decades. He said power had shifted from one group of feudal lords to another, while farmers in Pakistan were still represented by landlords.

He claimed that the future of democracy in the country was with the MQM-P. He said the MQM-P had supported the 18th Constitutional Amendment with the intention of providing a constitutional route for the devolution of power, and had supported the inclusion of Article 140-A in the Constitution. He said that when issues could not be resolved through parliament or courts, the MQM-P had the experience of taking its struggle to the streets. From this year to next year, Pakistan must be freed from anyone's control, he said.

Earlier, MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal said the Pakistan Army had fulfilled its responsibility by defeating India, but the country's internal defence now needed to be strengthened. He said Sindh had received around Rs 22,000 billion in 18 years and questioned why basic civic issues persisted. MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar also addressed the gathering, stating that Pakistan was now moving from the battlefield towards the battle for the economy and that strengthening the economy must be part of the national reform agenda.