The Sindh government on Tuesday denied claims made by factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that the provincial administration has withdrawn personnel deployed for the latter’s security.

The MQM-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the PPP have been engaged in a war of words since the Gul Plaza fire, trading blame for improper governance during their respective party’s mayors.

Speaking to Geo News on Tuesday, MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal replied in the affirmative when he was asked whether he was among the MQM leaders whose security protocol had reportedly been withdrawn by the Sindh government.

The MQM-P leader, who also serves as the federal health minister, insisted that the action was “in response” to his party’s criticism of the Sindh government and to “scare them”.

Instead, Kamal argued, the provincial government’s alleged action supported the MQM-P’s stance that Karachi be “taken in the Centre’s control”.

“Karachi should not be in control of an incompetent provincial government like Sindh’s,” he said, adding the Sindh government could not “suppress our voices” by taking these measures.

He went on to say that the security did not matter to them.

The MQM-Haqiqi (MQM-H) also said the Sindh government has withdrawn security from party chairman Afaq Ahmed.

In a statement, MQM-H Vice Chairman Shaukat Farooqi condemned the alleged move, saying it indicated that the PPP was afraid of Ahmed.

‘Those entitled have security’

Speaking to reporters later in the day, Sindh Senior Minister Shajreel Inam Memon dismissed the MQM-P’s claims.

“The home minister has categorically told the media that no security has been withdrawn from MQM,” Memon asserted, saying that the party was engaged in “propaganda” and a “campaign”.

The minister clarified that even Sindh Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi still has the security allotted to him.

“Whoever is entitled to it, they have security,” Memon added.

He noted that a few MQM-P leaders, who were federal ministers — namely Kamal and Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui — were in Islamabad as per his reports. “So, did you have to take the security here along with you?” he asked rhetorically.

“When this incident (Gul Plaza fire) occurred, everyone was teary-eyed … but the attitude of certain parties … the bodies were not even found and calls were made to roll back the 18th Amendment and hand over Karachi to the Centre,” he said.

In the wake of the Gul Plaza inferno, which has claimed at least 73 lives, the MQM-P demanded that Karachi be made a “federal territory” by making it the country’s “financial capital”.

It also assailed the 18th Amendment, which devolved certain ministries to the provinces from the Centre, and claimed that the PPP was taking “unfair advantage” of it.

In response, the PPP has assailed the MQM-P for “politicising” the Gul Plaza fire. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah detailed the shopping centre’s history, noting former mayors had approved leases to regularise building violations.