MQM-P, PSP to form alliance for upcoming elections under ‘one name, one symbol, one manifesto’

• MQM-P leader Ali Raza Abidi quits party, NA seat

KARACHI: In a bid to consolidate control over Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) have announced a merger of both parties and have decided to contest the General Elections 2018 under “one name, one symbol and one manifesto”.

The decision was announced at a joint presser on Wednesday by MQM-P chief Farooq Sattar and PSP Chairman Mustafa Kamal. The duo said that they had reached a consensus on keeping their differences apart to ensure that the vote bank from Sindh and Karachi was not divided.

The announcement comes a year after the two political factions announced complete disassociation from their former leadership based in London.

Addressing the press conference at Karachi Press Club, Farooq Sattar said, “We will contest the upcoming elections under one name and symbol.” He added that the political alliance has been formed for the betterment of all and “it is the need of Karachi, Sindh, and Pakistan”.

The MQM-P chief said the new name and electoral symbol, under which the newly-formed alliance will contest the general elections, will be mutually decided in meetings to be held between the leadership of the two parties in the coming days.

He said that it is the duty of the party’s leadership to take its workers onboard with the decision as they want to return Karachi’s government to the people of the city.

The MQM-P chief urged to shun politics of confrontation and requested workers of both parties to play their part in working towards a common goal. He also stressed that the process of recovering the missing workers should move forward, and appealed that the party’s offices, which are legally its property, be reopened.

Raising concerns on the recently conducted census, Sattar said that his party wants to ensure that the citizens of the metropolis are properly counted and represented. He also thanked the workers and supporters of the party for making the November 5 rally a success.

Speaking on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal endorsed MQM-P’s announcement to continue the joint struggle under one name and symbol and ruled out that the new party will operate under the name of ‘MQM’. “Whatever our identity will be, it certainly won’t be MQM because that name will always belong to the party’s founder [Altaf Hussain],” the PSP chairman said.

He said that both the parties will work together to bring betterment to the country.

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

“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,” he said.

Lamenting that Karachi had been treated unfairly in the recently conducted census, he rejected the census results and claimed that every concerned citizen, including retired judges and intellectuals, agrees with them on it.

Referring to the allegedly missing workers, the PSP chief said, “I ask the government to forgive the children of Karachi, in the same manner they forgave Balochistan’s children.”

Without naming the MQM founder Altaf Hussain, the PSP chairman said, “They [missing persons] were misled by someone, but that someone is no longer guiding them.”

“If they again commit the same mistakes, we take the responsibility of handing them over to law-enforcement agencies,” he added.

Both the leaders said they wanted to salvage the Muhajirs 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.”

Ali Raza Abidi quits MQM-P

Soon after Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) announced the merger, MQM-P lawmaker Ali Raza Abidi announced that he was quitting the party as “it was not something he believed in or stood for”.

In a tweet on Wednesday, he also announced resigning from his seat in the National Assembly from Karachi (NA-251).

Ladies n Gentlemen from the Holy land of Karbala, I announce to quit MQMP n resign from NA251 as this is not what I believed in n stood for.

— Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor) November 8, 2017

MQM-P’s Amir Khan says his prediction came true

Meanwhile, MQM-P’s Deputy Convener Amir Khan, in a conversation with a private news channel, expressed his concerns over the recent development between his party and PSP. “The mandate given to our colleagues was different from what has come forward,” he said and added, “This is not what we agreed upon.”

However, MQM-P leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan while speaking to the media had shared that Amir Khan was onboard the present developments and they were in contact with him.

Moreover, Sindh Minister for Industries and Commerce Manzoor Wassan said that he had predicted that this development would take place.  He had also predicted that MQM-P and PSP will now be led from Dubai.

Ishratul Ibad rules out heading the new party

Commenting on the predictions of Manzoor Wassan, former Sindh governor Ishratul Ibad said, “If Wassan had a dream then he would have also seen the person,” and added that he would not have been the person Wassan had seen.

The former Sindh governor also denied rumours about the possibility of being appointed as the leader of the merged MQM-P and PSP. “I appreciate the decision of the parties to meet and do away with the rifts because divisions will never benefit the city,” he said, adding that he had not played any part in this development, at least in the recent days.

Ibad denied being in contact with the parties but did not completely reject the possibility of his role in the new party. “Neither do I have the intent or desire to join the merged party,” he added.

He explained that a person leads a party on the wishes of the people and said that he is not mentally prepared for assuming possible leadership.

He also said that the merger would be difficult in the beginning, as changing the mindset of workers is a difficult phase.

Disgruntled MQM members likely to join PPP

On the other hand, certain disgruntled MQM-P leaders met former president Asif Ali Zardari for probable inclusion in PPP after the announcement of the merger, said sources on Wednesday.

MQM-P lawmakers Salman Mujahid and Dr Fauzia Hameed arrived at Zardari House in Islamabad where the two discussed political matters with the PPP co-chairman. Sources claim that a group of MQM-P leaders may join PPP.