Disgruntled MQM members invited to leave ‘sinking ship’ for PPP

MPA Saeed Ghani has advised Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) because “now nobody can stop Muttahida’s ship from sinking”.

Talking to the media at the city courts on Thursday and later addressing a news conference, the PPP Karachi president said his party was the best platform for political activists. “The MQM’s ship can never reach the bank, as it will sink passing through the passage.”

Ghani claimed the MQM would be able to bag only one seat in the upcoming senate election, as a number of lawmakers of the party had joined the Pak Sarzameen Party while some others were out of the country.

He said the leftover MQM members in the country were faced with disintegration of the party, adding that the PPP, being the largest political party of the province, would benefit from the Muttahida situation in the senate poll.

The MPA said differences within the MQM had emerged, and the party’s members were able to freely express their opinions because Altaf Hussain’s influence over the party’s affairs had dissipated.

“Considering the way things have been in the MQM for the past few days, it has become necessary for the peaceful members to head towards a bigger political party.” Ghani said MQM-Pakistan chief Farooq Sattar had admitted that the contentious issue in the party was not about a seat, rather the cause of the dispute was something entirely different.

“Farooq Sattar is under the obligation to tell the people the truth,” said the PPP leader about the disagreements within the MQM on the awarding of tickets to party candidates for the upcoming senate election.

“I call upon the disgruntled MQM members to join the PPP, since we serve as the best platform for political activists,” said the provincial lawmaker. He rejected the impression that 10 MQM MPAs in the Sindh Assembly were in contact with the PPP. “We haven’t contacted any other party regarding the senate election, but we are sure that given the current uncertain situation, lawmakers of other parties would also vote in favour of our candidates.” Ghani said the ruling PPP had been trying to improve Karachi’s affairs, which had been messed up due to the MQM’s “hooliganism” in the past.

“Everybody is free to dream about becoming Sindh’s chief minister, as there is no ban on dreaming, but except the PPP, anyone who has dreamt of getting their own CM has faced humiliation.”

The MPA also criticised the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “The [courts’] decisions should be criticised but the institutions should not be humiliated,” he advised ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Ghani said the PPP had nothing to do with the recent change of government in Balochistan, as the in-house change in the provincial assembly had been brought about because the people there were not satisfied with the policies of Nawaz and the PML-N.

The PPP leader said he was at the court to file a defamation case against a private TV channel’s anchorperson who had been levelling “baseless” allegations against him.

PPP General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said his party was the first to finalise its list of candidates for the senate poll and to issue them party tickets, while the rest of the parties had been in a total state of confusion over the issue.