In focus: Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui’s political transition

Involved in electoral politics since the mid-1980s, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui is the current Convener Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). During his time at Jinnah Sindh Medical University early in his political career, Siddiqui quickly ascended to the chairmanship of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement.

His early political struggles were characterized by advocacy for the Urdu-speaking community in Karachi and Hyderabad. As a result, Siddiqui entered electoral politics, winning the 1990 general election as a member of the National Assembly from NA-169 (Hyderabad-III) under the banner of the Haq Parast Group.

Through the decades, Siddiqui has served in many ministerial roles, including Federal Minister for Industries and Production under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

After assuming leadership positions within the MQM-Pakistan, Siddiqui became the party’s convener in February 2018.

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Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also served as a minister in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government from 2020 to 2022. However, he made a surprising move by resigning from his ministerial position just weeks before a crucial no-confidence vote that eventually led to the ousting of the PTI government in 2022.

As his party navigates through a transitioning political phase in Pakistan, it appears that Siddiqui will continue to play a role in the coming years.