KARACHI: At a time when its strength is the subject of prime time debates across the country, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) held a press conference to announce a cleanliness drive in Karachi, with an apparent reference to questions being raised about the party’s performance.

"On March 10, we will start a campaign to clean Karachi, and the mindset of its people, by dispelling doubts and confusion," top party representative Farooq Sattar told reporters on Tuesday.

Christened the 'Clean Karachi Campaign' (CKC), the drive is scheduled to kick off on March 10, with the stated goal of cleaning the city and its 'mindset', Sattar said.

"We want to cultivate the passion of owning the city in heart of every citizen and we want the citizens of this city to take ownership for it."

The announcement comes days after the political landscape of the metropolis witnessed tremors with the return of MQM's former mayor Mustafa Kamal, who in his explosive press conference levelled serious allegations against his former political party.

The MQM leader claimed that the initiative will 'kill two birds with one stone'.

The announcement comes days after the political landscape of the metropolis witnessed tremors with the return of MQM's former mayor Mustafa Kamal, who in his explosive press conference levelled serious allegations against his former political party.

Sattar, elaborated and told the media personnel present that the party wants to bring a 'sense of belonging and participation' into the people of Karachi, and that is the real objective of the CKC.

"The cleaning campaign can last for more then a month, and we do not want to limit it. We will continue this campaign till our mayor-designate Waseem Akhtar takes his oath and assumes his responsibilities," stated the MQM leader.

'Will clean Karachi of corrupted minds'

"We will clean Karachi of all garbage and corrupted minds."

In a lighthearted tone, Sattar said that he will talk in an indirect manner, so he can properly convey his message to the media and the people of Karachi.

"Meetings that will be held by the MQM in Karachi's neighbourhoods before the start of CKC, and we will ensure that we clean the minds of the citizens first," stated Sattar.

He went on to say, that once confusion has been dispelled from Karachi's citizenry, they will start to clean the streets.

"We will hold meetings in every ward of Karachi, we will be holding close to 720 meetings with the public. This is the power of an organised political party," said Sattar.

Sattar, during the press conference repeatedly hammered home his point that it is essential to clean the mindset prevalent in the people of the city, before they can move onto cleaning the streets.

The MQM leader also announced that similar cleanliness campaigns would be initiated in the other cities of Sindh after Karachi.

MQM's press conference follows Dr Sagheer Ahmed's switch of loyalty towards Mustafa Kamal, leaving his political party of 28 years.

Last week, former Karachi nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and former deputy convener of the MQM, Anis Kaimkhani ended their decades-long association with the party, heaping scorn on Muttahida Qaumi Movement supremo Altaf Hussain.

Kamal had criticised Altaf Hussain for “deception” and what he called ‘poor running of one of Karachi’s strongest political parties.’

In a speech that lasted nearly two hours, Kamal also announced the formation of a new political party, which he said is yet to be named. He raised a Pakistani flag and said it is the official emblem of his newly launched organisation.