The seven-member party

The toothless PSP

Announcing a party without a political programme is like putting the cart before the horse. The only thing the dissidents have no confusion about is the need to expose Altaf Hussain and demolish MQM. In about three weeks time the two-member demolition squad has expanded to seven but has failed so far to cause large scale desertions from the MQM despite sufficient external support for the enterprise.

On Wednesday, the group finally christened itself as Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP). What it offered for a political programme was a set of platitudes like patriotism being their guiding principle and serving the masses their sole aim. According to Mustafa Kamal separate flags were responsible for creating divisions among political parties. The new party would therefore hoist only the Pakistan flag on its offices. The PSP’s distinctive political progrmme comprised no more than two points i.e., devolution of power and replacement of parliamentary system with a presidential one. There was no word about the party’s economic policies.

This strengthens the view that the new party leadership has no political vision. Kamal put a foot wrong by asserting that the system had deteriorated to an extent that even angels could not set it right. This indicates pessimism that one does not expect from a politician launching a new party. Instead of arguing his case, Mutafa Kamal resorted to histrionics like crying on the stage that reminded one of his erstwhile leader. Earlier, one of the seven leaders had vowed that the new party would shun ethnic politics. Kamal’s views about carving out provinces have already led the new opposition alliance in Sindh to reject the new party for indulging in divisive politics. His appeal for amnesty for MQM workers who, according to him, committed crimes on Altaf Hussain’s behest is seen by many as an attempt to seek the support of desperadoes involved in heinous crimes out of sheer political opportunism. PSP may ultimately succeed in weakening the MQM but has little prospects as a national political force.