Mustafa Kamal’s PSP to ‘show strength’ today

Party is vying with MQM-P to fill the political void in the metropolis

KARACHI: Dr Farooq Sattar of MQM-Pakistan and Mustafa Kamal of Pak Sarzameen Party are vying to fill an apparent political void in Karachi.

In this context, the PSP is holding a public gathering at Tibet Center on MA Jinnah Road today (Sunday), ‘outlining its future course of action’.

This will be the second such show of power by the PSP, which emerged less than a year ago.  It last held a public meeting on December 23 last year at Pakka Qilla in Hyderabad. This gathering, which PSP leaders expect to be the “largest” in the party’s history, will determine how much they had grown in such a short span of time.



“We have made inroads in areas such as Liaquatabad, Korangi, New Karachi and Gulbahar, previously considered to be MQM’s strongholds,” Waseem Aftab maintained.  Like other top PSP leaders, Aftab was also associated with the MQM.



He said that his team had a political experience of more than 30 years. “We have an understanding of this city’s dynamics … We have come up with a vision to unite this nation under one flag,” he said.

Most PSP leaders and workers switched sides from MQM, raising concern whether they would be able create a congenial political environment or drift towards intolerance. He acknowledged these apprehensions and maintained: “This is why the PSP was formed.”

Sattar’s MQM

Meanwhile, Dr Farooq Sattar, who spearheads the MQM-Pakistan, also announced a public gathering in March this year, after his party successfully organised a similar event at Nishtar Park in the city on December 30 last year.

For many, the August 22 incident was a watershed event that could have heralded the end of MQM if Dr Sattar and his allies had not come forward with a new policy and disavowed the party chief and other leaders living in London, a day after.



“MQM-Pakistan stands by its August 23 policy and does not recognise any political vacuum in the city,” said Aminul Haq, a member of the party’s top decisive body.

“All party workers, supporters and elected representatives in the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and local bodies are unified under the leadership of Dr Sattar.”

According to him, the MQM leaders and workers who had “joined” PSP were unhappy, but they had no other option.

“They were pressurised in one way or the other to join (Mustafa) Kamal. They are still in contact and will (eventually) come back (to the MQM fold).”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2017.