MQM Pakistan leader Syed Mustafa Kamal has declared that the agitation for construction of new administrative units across Pakistan including Sindh has reached a crucial phase with no turning back.

Mustafa Kamal said at a meeting on administrative units that Karachi is prepared to host the biggest gathering on Shahrah-e-Faisal in its history in the coming days to voice support for the demand.

He said the campaign is to ensure the right of the people of Karachi and Pakistan to live with dignity. “Karachi is the biggest taxpayer in the country, but its people still face shortages of basic facilities such as clean drinking water, electricity, public transport, healthcare and quality education, he added.

Mustafa Kemal said the present system would not be able to move Pakistan forward until the stakeholders agree to the need for structural reforms.

He said the development of new administrative divisions was vital to address public issues and ensure provision of basic services.

Meanwhile, addressing the same conference, MQM Pakistan leader Anis Qaimkhani said the party’s workers were not disposable commodities but proud to be part of the struggle for construction of new administrative units.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has denied the claims made by the Afghan regime against Pakistan and has urged the Afghan Taliban to take decisive action against the terrorist hideouts and to prevent the cross border infiltration.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, the federal minister said the allegations levelled against Pakistan were baseless and urged the Afghan interim government to guarantee that its land was not exploited for terrorist operations against Pakistan.

“Pakistan has always been an advocate of peace and stability in the region,” Dr Chaudhry remarked. But he said Pakistan had always replied to violence whenever it was imposed on the country.

He said that the Pakistan military forces were fully equipped to respond to any type of invasion.

The minister said Pakistan had given hard evidence of cross-border terrorism and infiltration to Afghanistan.

He said the evidence was also delivered to Afghan representatives during negotiations in Istanbul and Doha.

He said Pakistan has tried to resolve the issue through diplomacy but the interim administration of Afghanistan had not taken significant steps to curb infiltration into Pakistan.

“Pakistan has the right to take all necessary measures if Afghan soil is used for terrorist activities against Pakistan,” Dr Chaudhry said further.

He encouraged Afghanistan to take serious action against terrorist elements and prevent cross-border infiltration to fulfilll its duties and stressed the necessity for proactive steps for regional peace and security.

Pakistani officials have reopened a vital border crossing with Iran through its southwestern Balochistan region, a businessperson and customs clearing agent reported on Sunday, after temporarily suspending it for a week for security concerns.

The week-long shutdown also caused shortages of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) across the country, notably in its most populous Punjab province where most industries and households rely on LPG for their residential consumption. The shutdown has led to an increase in pricing of LPG cylinders, with dealers warning that they would go up higher if the closure continues.

The Gabd-Rimdan border crossing was opened Saturday, Naveed Jan Kalamati, head of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce, told Arab News.

He said “hundreds of trucks loaded with rice and other food items crossed into Iran while LPG bowsers were allowed to cross into Pakistan”.

“The border crossing was chocked,” he claimed, “with a large number of trucks trying to cross after the week-long closure.”

Government officials in the port city of Gwadar and Quetta did not react to Arab News inquiry about the border reopening.