Jumping ship: 150 PML-Q workers join Afaq’s party

KARACHI:

The former general secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Karachi East, Kashif Zai, on Tuesday, announced that he was joining Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi with 150 other members of the party.

He made the announcement while talking to the newsmen flanked by the vice president of MQM-H, Shamshad Ghauri, at the press club.

Zai said that he trusted the MQM-H chief, Afaq Ahmed, and his ideology and that was the reason they were joining the party. “Afaq’s party is the only party where we can freely take part in the country politics,” said Zai.

Zai used to be a member of MQM-H before he joined the PML-Q. He said that he learnt from his mistake had received his punishment.

“We joined PML-Q in 2001 to take part in national politics but a political party of the city did not let us do national politics,” he alleged. “They started torturing us and put false charges on our partners and forced us to join Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).” Zai said that he had contacted the leadership of PML-Q and informed them about the situation but they did nothing.

“The PML-Q and MQM had made a pact under which MQM gave 200 names of people who were not to be allowed to live in Karachi or they will be imprisoned.” Shamshad Ghauri said that their party welcomes everyone and did not force people to apologise. “People leave political parties in crises but our doors are open for everyone,” he said. “There is no concept of an apology in our party unlike Altaf’s party.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2012.