Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday that his party was seeking its rights through the constitutional means and wanted a 28th Constitutional Amendment. 

Addressing a public gathering in Karachi, Kamal said that the system with one prime minister and four chief ministers has failed and cannot continue any longer. He demanded that the rulers provide a deadline for when the people would receive their rights.

He questioned the authorities over how many more children would have to fall into open manholes before changes were made in the system of governance.

Kamal said he did not accept a system in which people were denied their basic rights. The federal health minister added that he was a federal minister under the current system, but he could give up the ministry if his people were provided with powers and resources.

Kamal demanded written assurance from the rulers on when the quota system and the existing governance structure would come to an end. He said the MQM-P wanted changes in the current system.

He said the party had failed due to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s opposition, adding that the proposed constitutional amendment was not being accepted by the PPP. He claimed the PPP had warned that accepting the MQM-P’s amendment could bring down the government.

Kamal said that if the 27th Constitutioal Amendmnent could be passed, then the 28th Amendment should also be introduced. He added that the procedure for establishing new administrative units would have to be included in the proposed amendment.

He said the country was run according to the Constitution and questioned whether the Constitution stated that the Sindh chief minister could receive federal funds but not spend them on the people. He said the issue was not a shortage of resources, adding that Sindh’s rulers had received Rs22 trillion in 18 years.

Kamal said the federal government was not stopping Sindh’s funds, but the provincial government was not spending them on the public. He said Karachi had become one of the worst cities for living conditions despite generating thousands of billions of rupees.

He said they carried the blood of those who created Pakistan and a decision had to be made whether the current system would continue or be removed. He stressed that the MQM-P wanted its rights within the framework of the Constitution.