Million March: Can Mustafa Kamal prove his mettle today?

PSP chairperson said Karachi’s problems can be solved in 20 minutes if they follow his lead

KARACHI: If one million people in Karachi started walking on a specific street on a specific day on my call, their problems will be resolved within a span of 20 minutes.

Mustafa Kamal, the chairperson of Pak Sarzameen Party, had said this on April 16. The specific day of what the party likes to call a ‘Million March’ has finally arrived today.

The question that can this apparently unworldly thought of resolving the long-pending issues be materialised by simply moving onto the streets, seems unanswerable or premature. The events unfolding later may help enlighten the pondering minds. Whatsoever, Kamal appears to be sure about the success of the Million March and hopes that it will provide him and his party a way forward. And to make this happen, the PSP has waged a painstaking campaign lasting more than a month.



The first phase of the campaign started on April 6, when the party, right after holding a press conference outside Karachi Press Club and putting 16 of its demands for the betterment of this city, staged a sit-in that continued for the next 18 days.

The party had set up a kind of tent city there. It seemed like a temporary headquarters where all the offices were set up. Among them, the media office was quite interesting. A whole server setup was installed, where a team of professionals and volunteers worked to ensure that even the smallest thing should make news.

On the 13^th day of the sit-in, The Express Tribune interviewed Kamal. Clad in black shalwar kameez, the PSP chairperson was offering Zuhr prayers inside a dedicated tent. Two of his party workers, an old and a young guy, stood guard outside. They apparently carried no arms. However, around 100 metres away from the site were parked three to four expensive SUVs accompanied by a group of armed guards.



Kamal’s interview started with a talk on his 16 demands for the city. They include return of the administrative and financial powers to the mayor and local bodies and better sanitation, communication, recreational, health, education, power and water services for the residents of the city.

Most of his demands are with the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government, which seems adamant on not letting the powers go from its hands easily. This might take an act of a consummated politician to achieve the goal, especially when the PPP knows that it has an upper hand in the current game.

“I have faith in Allah. With the help of the people, the PSP will succeed in its mission,” he maintained, not acknowledging the reported back-door negotiations among the Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan, Muhajir Qaumi Movement - Haqiqi and his party.



The PSP has held public gatherings on a nearly day-to-day basis since April 6 for the Million March. Kamal, PSP President Kaimkhani, PSP Secretary-General Raza Haroon and other leaders of the party have called on important political, social and religious figures of the city to seek their help in their movement. Having met with the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and journalists on Saturday, Kamal and his PSP are hopeful to make history today on Sharae Faisal by leading a procession of one million people towards the CM House.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has announced that it will not allow PSP in the Red Zone. Provincial minister Nasir Shah announced this during a press conference.