The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan(MQM-P) has announced that it has postponed a sit-in at the Fawara Chowk near Zenaib Market in Karachi planned for February 12 to press for its demands.

The announcement was made by MQMP Convenor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui who said Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori persuaded them to postpone the protest in view of the ongoing multinational naval exercise.

At least 40 countries including Türkiye, the US, and China, began a five-day multinational naval exercise led by Pakistan in the Arabian Sea on Friday.

Zenaib Market and the Fawara Chowk intersection near it are some of the busiest locations in Karachi on weekdays, but February 12 falls on Sunday when the area mostly wears a deserted look. So, a sit-in was not likely to create problems for passersby.

Still, the protest was to lay bear the rift between the PPP and MQMP, coalition partners in the center.

MQMP wants the constituency boundaries for Union Committees (UCs) to be redrawn. It boycotted the local bodies elections on January 15 over the issue. Its other major demands include the appointment of a new administrator in the Central District.

Since PPP is said to be anxious to pacify the MQMP, it made late-night contacts on Friday. Sources told Aaj News on early Saturday that Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori would visit MQMP headquarters in Bahurabad. The visit happened later in the day.

However, the visit not mend the fence and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the party would announce a new date for the sit-in after the naval exercise ends next week.

PPP is willing to accept all of the demands, said the sources.

Earlier in the day, MQMP’s Mustafa Kamal told reporters on Saturday that there was ‘nothing serious’ about the party’s contacts with the PPP.