The Sindh government on Tuesday categorically rejected claims by factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that official security provided to their leaders had been withdrawn, calling the allegations baseless and politically motivated.
The denial comes amid heightened political tensions following the deadly Gul Plaza fire in Karachi, which has claimed at least 73 lives. Since the incident, the MQM-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have been locked in a war of words, with both sides trading accusations over governance failures in the metropolis.
Earlier in the day, MQM-P leader and Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told Geo News that security for MQM leaders had allegedly been reduced in response to his party’s criticism of the Sindh government.
He claimed the move was intended to intimidate the party and reinforce its stance that Karachi should be placed under federal control due to what he termed the provincial government’s incompetence.
Similar allegations were made by the MQM-Haqiqi, which claimed that security for party chairman Afaq Ahmed had also been withdrawn.
In response, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar issued a clarification stating that no security assigned to any MQM leader had been revoked. He said security arrangements for all entitled political figures, including MQM leaders, remained unchanged.
Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also dismissed the claims, accusing the MQM-P of running a propaganda campaign. He noted that MQM leaders who are federal ministers, including Mustafa Kamal and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, were currently in Islamabad and questioned whether provincial security personnel were expected to accompany them there.
Memon stressed that “whoever is entitled to security has it,” adding that those seeking protection must formally apply with valid reasons. While affirming the opposition’s democratic right to protest, he warned that the government would not tolerate violence, vandalism, or attempts to disrupt public life under the guise of political agitation.
The Sindh government has also accused the MQM-P of politicising the Gul Plaza tragedy, while reiterating its commitment to public safety and lawful democratic conduct.
