Establishment brought us on table: Kamal

KARACHI: At the crescendo of the tug of war between Farooq Sattar’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan and Mustafa Kamal’s Pak Sarzameen Party, the reported role of the establishment in the political scene has been corroborated -- both the parties claim its role in mediating the talks between them or, in other words, re-engineering the political landscape of Karachi.

Replying to the allegations leveled by Sattar, Kamal said that the establishment brought them to the negotiation table on Tuesday night at a “safe house” on MQM-P convener Farooq Sattar's desire instead of his.

He was addressing a press conference at his party headquarters, Pakistan House, on Saturday, responding to his counterpart’s Thursday night presser in which he announced to quit the politics but later retracted.

“An impression has been given that Sattar was kidnapped [on the whims of the PSP] and then forced to address the press conference,” Kamal said, maintaining that on the contrary he and other leaders of his party were summoned to a place and when they went there they found Sattar already present. “The negotiations were underway for the past eight months and the MQM-P wanted the PSP to merge into it.”

Kamal contended that since day one his stance was that he would rather shut his party down rather than merging it with the MQM-P. “We believe that the MQM belongs to Altaf Hussain and will always be his. The PSP is ours, and is a brand of Pakistan,” he commented, claiming that Sattar is only telling the “half” truth.

Contradicting Wednesday's announcement of forming a political alliance, Kamal said that the chief of MQM-P and other leaders, including those present in the meeting the night before had agreed to forming a new political entity which will have a new name, symbol and manifesto. “We have a written agreement to that effect duly signed by Farooq Sattar.”

Appearing annoyed on being labelled an agent of the establishment, Kamal said that
everyone knows how the MQM-P came into being. “Sattar went to the Rangers headquarters as a suspect nominated in five FIRs of treason. He, however,  returned the next day as the chief of the MQM-P. The party was made in the office of [the then director-general Sindh Rangers] Major General Bilal Akbar.”

The PSP chairperson particularly mentioned Kamran Tessori, who dramatically rose to become the deputy convener in the MQM-P, and said that it os an open secret  whom he works for. “Yes, I admit that I contacted the establishment and brought 70 missing MQM activists back to their families. Who else would I have gone to for their recovery?” he asked. 

About the Land Cruiser, Kamal said he made the remarks in the context that if the ethnic politics continued, then they may be able save themselves of untoward incidents due to these bullet proof vehicles but the common worker – like happened in past – will fall prey to violence. He, however, mocked Sattar on evaluating the SUVs they have by saying that he was ready to sell his vehicle for Rs1 million less than the market value and purchase Sattar’s by paying Rs200,000 more. Kamal challenged that he will quit politics if Sattar proved his allegations that the Khayaban-e-Sehar bungalow and the Land Cruiser was given to him by the establishment. “If he could not prove the allegations, then he should leave the country,” he said. 

Kamal warned that by playing the Muhajir card, Sattar was acting as an enemy of the community. In reply to Farooq Sattar's  analogy that by taking up the Muhajir cause, the MQM-P  is advocating the rights of all the communities, he questioned: “Does it mean that a Muhajir should chose to side with the MQM to become a Muhajir?” The PSP, he said champions the cause of every ethnicity and community living in this country and stands beside them.