KARACHI:
In a move that could set the stage for fresh constitutional talks, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Thursday launched a 28th constitutional amendment focused on empowering local governments under Article 140-A.
The proposal, which effectively puts local governance back on the backburner, was presented by an MQM-P delegation led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui during a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Karachi.
Sources said the party urged the prime minister to move quickly and take all political stakeholders on board. In response, the Prime Minister agreed to hold a follow-up meeting next week to iron out the details and keep the ball rolling on the proposed change.
The meeting also exposed both cooperation and underlying frictions. MQM-P leaders pushed for expediting the Karachi Development Package and received assurances from the premier, while Dr. Farooq Sattar raised concern over the ouster of Kamran Tessori as Sindh governor and said the party had not been taken into confidence.
Karachi: 26 March 2026.
MQM’s delegation met with Wazir-e-Azam Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and MQM convener Khalid Maqbool Siddique in Karachi. In the delegation, former Governor of Sindh Kamran Khan Tesuri, Federal Minister of Health, Federal Minister of Health Farooq Starr, Seyed Ameen Al-Haq and Senator Faisal Sabzwari… pic.twitter.com/tnJg6dofyF
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) March 26, 2026
The prime minister called it a “political decision” but directed that the Sindh governor remain in close coordination with the MQM-P leadership. He also prayed for the health of Tessori’s mother.
Senior federal officials including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar were present.
In parallel, the federal government decided to put its political house in order by directing Dar to improve working relations between PML-N and MQM-P.
Read more: MQM-P urges government to introduce 28th amendment to empower local bodies
A coordination committee, comprising Sanaullah, Tarar and Ahsan Iqbal, will be formed under Dar’s leadership to iron out differences and keep lines of communication open. Sources said the committee will work under the prime minister’s directives and is expected to be notified soon.
According to PML-N sources, the meeting also emphasized the need to build bridges between the MQM-P and the PPP-led Sindh government to accelerate development in Karachi and across Sindh. The federal side assured that it would play a facilitating role to bring both sides on the same page.
Read also: MQM-P should leave federal government due to Sindh governor change
It was further agreed that constitutional and legal issues would be handled in consultation with the MQM-P through the Law Ministry, while Sindh Governor Nehal Hashmi would maintain regular engagement with the party. The MQM-P will also be trusted with key federal decisions, including austerity measures and potential energy policies.
Union ministers are expected to visit Karachi soon to review development projects, with the planning minister maintaining direct contact with the MQM-P leadership. A meeting between the MQM-P and the proposed coordination committee will be scheduled through mutual consultation.
The discussions also touched on the wider regional situation and ongoing development work in urban Sindh, where the MQM-P strongly advocates a truly empowered local government system.
