MQM minority lawmaker joins PPP

Sources say Poonjo Mal Bheel took his decision after meeting PPP MNA Faryal Talpur in Karachi

KARACHI: A prominent Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker on Thursday joined Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) unconditionally.

Minority MPA Poonjo Mal Bheel took this decision after meeting PPP MNA Faryal Talpur at Zardari House in Karachi, sources told The Express Tribune. The lawmaker also resigned from his seat of the provincial assembly with immediate effect.

“I thank them for nominating me twice for Sindh Assembly’s membership but I was unable to serve my community due to MQM’s urban-centric politics,” Bheel said.



The MPA further said, “The PPP is one of the largest parties of the country and it believes in equal rights for minorities in the country.”

Senator Hari Ram, MPA Sardar Ali Shah, MPA and Chairman PAC Saleem Jalbani, MPA Mahesh Kumar Malani, Qasim Siraj Soomro and Advocate Zafar Leghari were also present on the occasion.

The development comes in the wake of several MQM leaders joining former Karachi mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal’s newly-formed Pak Sarzameen Party.

The PSP was formed by Kamal upon returning to Pakistan from self-imposed exile on March 3. Immediately after his return to the country, the former MQM senator had launched a blistering attack on MQM chief Altaf Hussain and challenged the ‘iron grip’ of the MQM on the city.



Earlier this month, MQM also joined the race of new inductions as former parliamentarian of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Afshan Imran, along with 100 activists, announced the decision to join the party at a press conference.