KARACHI, Aug 13: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Saturday reiterated its stand that it never demanded a provincial status for Karachi because the party did not like the division of Sindh.This categorical statement was made by MQM leaders Babar Ghauri and Raza Haroon while speaking to reporters after their meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Functional chief Pir Pagara at the Kingri House.

Responding to questions of the media, Mr Ghauri, who was accompanied by Mr Haroon and Adil Siddiqui, said that they came to extend an invitation of an Iftar party to Pir Pagara on behalf of MQM chief Altaf Hussain. They added that the invitation wasaccepted.

When asked if the issue of demanding a provincial status for Karachi was raised during the meeting, Mr Ghauri said neither Mr Hussain nor the MQM had ever demanded the provincial status for Karachi.

Mr Haroon, who has been nominated by the MQM as leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, said that the MQM chief had made it clear that his party was opposed to the division of Sindh. Earlier, Pir Pagara told journalists that he had accepted the invitation of the Iftar party and asked the MQM leaders to arrange crispy (karak) but thin jalebi for Iftar.

The PML-F chief said they had discussed issues and agreed to sort them out further quietly when they would meet. “We don’t want to fight with each other.”

However, the octogenarian politician made it clear that he was in favour of the commissioner system.

Pir Pagara said he told the MQM delegation that the commissioner system was to the advantage of Mohajirs and not to benefit Sindhis. There was a political vacuum in Sindh and he would invite Mohajirs to come forward and fill it, he added.

When his attention was drawn towards ongoing killings in Karachi, Pir Pagara said: “When we sit together to sort out issues quietly, the situation will change and bloodshed will stop.”

Referring to the strike in Sindh on the call of nationalist parties, the PML-F chief said it was the government which suffered most from every strike and as there was no writ of the government everyone was exercising his right to expression inwhatever manner he wanted.