PSP gets another Muttahida MPA in its ranks

Ashfaq Mangi resigns from his PS-127 seat, says many others will

join Kamal-led party before its rally on 24th

Karachi

An MPA belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement defected to the Pak Sarzameen Party on Monday and resigned from his assembly seat – the fourth lawmaker of the party to do so.

Ashfaq Mangi, an MPA from Karachi’s PS-127 constituency, joined the PSP along with dozens of members of the MQM social media and tanzeemi committee teams and zonal in-charges from the district Jacobaabad, Thatta, Qamber, Kashmore, Kandhkot, and Sukkur.

Mangi switching sides is quite disturbing for the MQM as it would be difficult for it to find another candidate with Sindhi linkage to field for the seat.

Besides being a member of the MQM coordination committee, Mangi also held several organisational posts in the party.

Earlier, he was welcomed to the PSP by its leaders Anis Qaimikhani and Waseem Aftab and showered with rose petals were.

PSP chief Kamal also welcomed Mangi’s inclusion at a press conference held at the Kamal House.

Mangi said many high-profile people were in touch with him and would soon join the PSP before its rally April 24.

He said that he decided to join the PSP after learning about the MQM’s links with Indian spy agency RAW.

Mangi, who had joined the MQM in 2000, said, “We can’t even imagine that the party we were a part of was affiliated with RAW.”

“Kamal’s press conference in March woke my conscience,” he added. Mangi said the PSP’s only aim was to strengthen the youth and remove their sense of alienation.

“I had joined the MQM when it was not in power. I have no lust for power and my only agenda is the welfare of the poor and rid them of their sufferings.”

Since the PSP burst onto Karachi's political scene earlier this year, important workers and leaders of MQM who have switched over to Kamal and Qaimkhani's side include Anis Advocate, Raza Haroon, MPA Dr Sagheer Ahmed, MPA Iftikhar Alam, Waseem Aftab, ex-senator Mohammad Ali Brohi, and most recently MPA Bilquis Mukhtar. 

Mukhtar, who became the first female MQM dissident after she announced her decision on April 6, was a member of the provincial assembly’s standing committees on minorities affairs, women development and social welfare. She was also a founding member of the MQM’s first coordination committee and among those who had reopened Nine-Zero after it was sealed by the authorities.