punjabics.com

'One manifesto, one symbol, one party'
MQM, PSP announce plans for 2018 elections


By Imtiaz Ali

Dr Farooq Sattar addresses a joint press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.-PPI

The leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) set aside
their bitter rivalry on Wednesday to announce that they were gearing up for the eventual
consolidation of their political forces and that they would contest the 2018 general elections under
"one name, one manifesto, one symbol and one party."

"The modalities of this alliance will be decided in the days to come," MQM Pakistan chief Dr Farooq
Sattar said while addressing a much-hyped press conference at the Karachi Press Club with PSP
chairman Mustafa Kamal by his side.

"It is our job — the leaders of both parties — to convey to our workers that we are doing this
because we want a better future for the city. We want our due share in the development of this city.
We want to be counted. We want jobs for our youth," he explained.

"We should ensure that Karachi never faces the kind of political violence it witnessed in the past.

"We seek a good working relationship and a political alliance with each other, and this is what we
wanted to talk to you all about.

"PSP and MQM had been deliberating these points in the recent past. We need good statesmanship
at this juncture. To this end, we decided we need a positive and combined effort," Sattar explained.

The MQM chief stressed that a united Karachi was necessary for Pakistan.

"Farooq Sattar Bhai, all the people who are here with him — I greet and welcome you all here,"
began PSP chief Mustafa Kamal.

"On behalf of the Pak Sarzameen Party, I endorse Farooq Sattar Bhai's position when he says that
we want to continue our struggle under one symbol and one party," Kamal said.

"The gist of Farooq Bhai's speech is that we need one manifesto, one symbol and one party to
continue our struggle for the people of Pakistan," he asserted.

The PSP chief said that if a Muhajir leader is not ready to embrace other ethnicities, he will only
encourage more hatred against the Muhajir community. This has been the reason why Karachi has
been so wracked by violence in the past, he said.

"It is for the sake of Pakistan; for the sake of the Muhajir community that I do not want my politics
to be solely about Muhajirs. There should be no areas in the city that are inaccessible to members
of one ethnic group or the other.

"I appreciate that Farooq Bhai took such a major step; that he set his ego aside to see eye to eye
with us on this. We took this decision (to merge) not because of how much we would individually
gain or lose, but how much our people would gain or lose," explained Kamal.

Without naming the MQM founder, Kamal said that one man had been pushing the Muhajirs into
an abyss.

"Drunk out of his senses, he would demand the splitting of a province. The Muhajir community was
the one suffering, they would be the one who would face the embarrassment of his speeches."

"Today, we are entering this historic agreement. I thank the workers of both parties for enabling
this," Kamal said, adding that the two leaders "have left our personal liking and disliking far behind;
now, we are focused on the people of this city".

Anything but MQM

Though the modalities of the newly envisioned political alliance will be announced later, Kamal made
it clear that “it would be anything but MQM”.

"I am not backing down from what I stand for — we came to bring down Altaf Hussain and destroy
his toxic legacy,” he maintained.

The PSP chief said, “Farooq Sattar may not be comfortable with PSP at this moment, but we have
categorically decided that we will not unite under the name of MQM.”

Appeal to security forces

During his press conference, Kamal asked the security forces to forgive the youth and people of
Karachi just as they had announced an amnesty for the youth of Balochistan who had previously fought
against the state.

The PSP leader said that the youth of Karachi should also be given a choice to join the mainstream.
"Give them a chance to reform. If they step out of line even once again, we will hand them over to
law enforcers ourselves," Kamal promised.

He hoped that the announcement of the two parties to form a political alliance for the betterment of
the country would also put a stop to the politically motivated arrests of MQM and PSP workers.

Meanwhile, Farooq Sattar also demanded that they should be allowed a level playing field to carry out
political activities. "We hope that our political offices that are legal, but have been sealed, will be
returned to us."

Both the leaders said they wanted to salvage the Muhajir community and make sure that they are not
left "uncounted or unrepresented".

At the end of the press conference, Kamal said: "If I have ever offended or hurt any member of the
MQM with anything I said in the past, I apologise profusely for it."

However, as Sattar and Kamal were announcing their joint political ambitions, MQM leader and law-
maker Ali Raza Abidi announced that he would part ways from the party and resign from his National
Assembly seat.

The lead-up

Soon after news broke that the two parties would address the press together, MQM leader Rauf Siddiqui
had asked the media not to speculate, assuring reporters that whatever decision the party takes will
be communicated.

"Pakistan needs unity right now," he had said.

"Look at how the global situation is changing every moment," Siddiqui said, adding that all parties should
"choose their words carefully" and "be on the same page" to enable peace in the country.

"We want to serve the people better," party chief Sattar had said as he arrived later at the party's
Bahadurabad office, where he met party leaders for last minute consultations.

He had remained tight-lipped about the press conference scheduled for later that evening.

"We want all political parties to work together on a minimum common agenda. We also called a conference
on this earlier. Be it the mayor of Karachi or others, we have always vowed to continue to work together,"
MQM leader Faisal Subzwari said.

"Farooq Sattar is going nowhere. We are going nowhere. We are here with our people," he clarified when
asked about rumours that Sattar will step down as MQM chief.

"As far as I know, MQM Pakistan has called a press conference. We will go there, and you should come
too," he told reporters.

"If there is a decision for the city's improvement which encourages unity, I personally think it is good for
the country," MQM's Khawaja Izharul Hasan had said.

"Farooq Sattar will give a briefing in the party meeting and we will then make a final decision," he had
said.

The MQM had severed ties with its founder, Altaf Hussain, after he referred to Pakistan as “a cancer for
the entire world” in a vitriolic speech that sent shock waves throughout the country last year.

The party has since seen many defections to the PSP, with the latest being the city's Deputy Mayor,
Arshad Vohra.

Source: Dawn.com | November 08, 2017












web counter
Thank You!












Send email to nazeerkahut@punjabics.com with questions, comment or suggestions

Punjabics is a literary, non-profit and non-Political, non-affiliated organization

Punjabics.com @ Copyright 2008 - 2018 Punjabics.Com All Rights Reserved

Website Design & SEO by Webpagetime.com