Mustafa Kamal — the former mayor of Karachi and once touted as the blue-eyed boy of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain — managed to pull key MQM leader, Dr Sagheer Ahmed to his new but yet to be named political party on Monday.
“I am here as I am going to stand alongside Anees Kaimkhani and Mustafa Kamal, and will play a positive role in helping Pakistan grow,” said Ahmed, who also kicked off the press conference in Kamal and Kaimkhani’s presence.
Ahmed on the occasion also announced his resignation from the provincial assembly seat, which he was elected to on a MQM ticket.
He was associated with the MQM for 28 years, and was elected to the provincial assembly seat from PS-117. During his time as an elected representative, Ahmed served as the provincial minister for environment and as the minister of health.
“I announce that I quit my provincial assembly seat and apologise to my voters and supporters who gave me their trust. I have been unable to serve them as I was serving someone else.”
“It was not possible for me to subdue my conscience and I salute Kamal and Kaimkhani for speaking the truth.”
Ahmed clarified that he was present on his own volition and he has not been in contact with either Kamal or Kaimkhani.
Ahmed expressing confidence said, “I am sure that those with conscience will come and join us and those who are afraid, I ask them: What are you afraid of?”
‘Sliced up bodies’:
Referring to past incidents, the charged former health minister said, “I still cannot forget the situation of the city (Karachi) when sliced-up bodies were discovered in gunny bags every hour.”
Ahmed was visibly disturbed and teary-eyed as he narrated what he said were some of the bloodiest episodes in the history of the metropolis.
“When we protested with the bodies of our slain workers outside CM House, family members of the deceased used to plead with us as they wanted to take the bodies for burial, but we made them stay,” elaborated Ahmed.
“We did not join MQM to become senators or ministers, when we joined we had no idea that one day we will become ministers.”
He also said that he has never asked for the release of a terrorist or a criminal.
“Those who question us, saying look at what Altaf Hussain and the MQM have given you, we ask them, who made MQM and Altaf what they are today?”
Ahmed said that he had to break relationship with his family members as he kept on defending Altaf.
“Karachi has been exploited in front of everyone. I sacrificed everything for the tehreek (political movement),” said Ahmed.
He elaborated that he, along with all the other party members had served Altaf as if he was a god.
Hammering a point which was also earlier mentioned by Kamal in his press conference, Ahmed said, “Mohajir and Urdu-speaking people are not anti-Pakistan.”
He urged the authorities to bring back the Mohajir community into the national fold.
“The patriotism of this community has become a joke,” stated Ahmed.
“My biggest difference with the party (MQM) was that it used workers like tissue papers.”
Lamenting on the current state of the political party, Ahmed stated that, “Today we don’t have educated workers in MQM because education has never been a focus of the party leadership.”
The former health minister added that party workers were used to serve their ends, and questioned why the people vote for the party.
Ahmed stated that the families of workers who were killed were ignored by the party.
Last week, former Karachi mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal and former deputy convener of the MQM, Anis Kaimkhani ended their decades-long association with the party, heaping scorn on MQM Chairman Altaf Hussain.
Kamal had criticised Altaf Hussain for “deception” and what he called ‘poor running of one of Karachi’s strongest political parties.’
In a speech that lasted nearly two hours, Kamal also announced the formation of a new political party, which he said is yet to be named. He raised a Pakistani flag and said it is the official emblem of his newly launched organisation.