Switching loyalties: 260 former MQM workers join PSP

Party seeks to help those who had gone astray, says Mustafa Kamal

KARACHI: Surrounded by a huge crowd, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) president Anis Kaimkhani announced the induction of 260 former office holders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement into the party.

Kaimkhani was addressing a press conference at PSP secretariat on Tuesday. Of the 260 members, 12 are former members of Nine Zero’s central administration, 13 were sector in-charges and 39 unit in-charges among other office holders.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, former Landhi sector in-charge Manzoor Ahmed said that he took the decision to join PSP due to the current policies of the MQM. Ahmed stated that he had been a part of MQM since 1986 and had served his former party for 30 years, however, he still made the decision to leave it. Not only were the party workers being ignored but they were also not able to raise their voice or express their grievances in MQM, he added.

On the occasion, the party’s chairperson Mustafa Kamal said that they have been able to recruit more members as they are presenting a new and alternative narrative. The party seeks to help those who had gone astray, he remarked, adding if the suicide bombers can be de-radicalised why can’t these workers be brought back to the right path?

He further urged the establishment to not kill people but instead work to change mindset. He claimed that killing workers lies in the interest of MQM’s chief Altaf Hussain, who believes in politics of dead bodies.

Kamal, also mentioned that Altaf is to be blamed if any of his party workers have committed any crimes since he had preached hatred and incited them to violence. However, if a worker was apprehended or killed the MQM would disown them, he said.

Altaf Hussain never wanted the MQM to survive beyond him. The MQM is only there to protect and serve Hussain’s personal interests, he claimed. Kamal also questioned why Altaf never groomed a single leader to take his place in the future. Altaf has either killed those who showed any spark of leadership qualities or insulted the rest publicly, he said pointing towards the treatment metted out to Dr Farooq Sattar.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2016.