Kamal tells MQM-P to do ‘adjustment of hearts’ instead of seats

Returning the jibe, Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Mustafa Kamal has asked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan to do an “adjustment of hearts” instead of merely seat adjustment to win an election.

Speaking at a press conference at PSP headquarters on Monday, Kamal referred to the media reports of MQM-P in talks with Awami National Party over seat adjustment on some constituencies in Karachi. He said that when he had met with ANP, the MQM-P criticised him.

“When we were going to [such] political parties in a bid to defuse the ethnic strife in the city, the same people called us traitors,” he said. “Now for the sake of their seats only, they [MQM-P] were willing to do the seat adjustment.”

The MQM and ANP have been at odds in the past and share the accusations of being involved in employing violent tactics against each other to maintain their sway in certain areas of the city.

Eyeing the polls

The PSP chief hoped that his party will win the July 25 polls just like it penetrated the political scene of the city to become a major player within a short span of two years. “When we started this party, these people asked us how will we be able to come out of our homes, and today they ask how will you win the election?”

He further said that the Supreme Court has taken up his petition over the controversial results of the 2017 census in which, according to him, around seven million of Karachi’s population was left uncounted. The first hearing of the case will be on September 10, he informed.

Kamal said that the case rather had been moved by the MQM-P that kept the mandate of the urban populace and had been “involuntarily financed” by the people through their fitras, zakats and sacrificial animal hides. “Actually they never wanted to resolve your matters,” he said.

Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party, Kamal said, “The PPP chief minister has already signed the acceptance of the census result, which states the city population to be around 17 million, in the Council of Common Interests because the uncounted population does not fall in its stronghold.”

He added that it was unfortunate and if left unchallenged, the census results will result in the province getting a lesser share in the country’s resources. “In 2013, PPP leader Taj Haider sought data from Nadra which estimated the population of the city to be 21.4 million. How come it dramatically reduced to 17 million,” the PSP chief questioned.

During the press conference, several activists from different political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, All Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi and MQM-P, announced that they were joining PSP.

Dua Zuberi, who came from PTI, said that the ‘journey for change’ that her former party upheld as its slogan had not stopped but changed its direction. “The PTI workers were left alone because the party gave them the impression that if they did not have the money, they cannot contest the election,” she said.

Kamal also apologised for his inappropriate remarks about MQM-P leader Khawaja Izharul Hasan last week.