KARACHI: Declaring that the people of Karachi have rejected every kind of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Mustafa Kamal on Sunday gave a 30-day ultimatum to the rulers to solve the problems of Karachi or “be prepared to face consequences”.

Mr Kamal was addressing at a big public meeting organised by his party on M. A. Jinnah Road. It was his party’s second show of strength after the Dec 23, 2016 event at the Hyderabad’s historic Pucca Qila.

A large number of people, including women and children, attended the PSP rally. A stage was made under the Tibet Centre pedestrian bridge and both tracks of M. A. Jinnah Road up to the 7th Day Hospital bus stop were filled with people, who were waving national flag and chanting slogans in favour of the former mayor of Karachi and his party.

In his speech, Mr Kamal, who returned to Karachi around 11 months ago and formed his own party, once again heaped scorn at London-based MQM founder Altaf Hussain, repeated his allegations that he had sold the mandate his party had to Indian intelligence agency RAW and to Pakistani rulers for his own gains.

“We made a mistake when we considered a man our messiah,” he said. “Today, I want to bury the politics of Altaf Hussain.”

He said that some people were selling a narrative that the existence of the MQM even without its founder was necessary for the Urdu-speaking people. “Those still preserving the MQM are the biggest enemy of the Mohajir community.”

He said that the same elements gave an impression that the Urdu-speaking people did not want to go with the people of other ethnicities. “Today, people of Karachi irrespective of their ethnic origins participated in this public meeting and prove that their mandate is only for the PSP.”

He said that civilised, patriotic and educated people of Karachi rejected every MQM and “there is no turning back as this people’s court has given its verdict”.

Mr Kamal rejected the perception that he was being supported by the establishment.

He said that Karachi was in very bad shape as heaps of garbage could be seen everywhere and roads were in a dilapidated condition. “The whole city has become a big garbage dump, where system of water supply, electricity, gas and sanitation has collapsed.”

Criticising the elected representatives of Karachi, he said that there was no one who could dare raise issues of the metropolis.

He said that power projects to produce 3,500 megawatts were being installed in Karachi. He demanded that 20 per cent of electricity from these projects should be given to Karachi.

He also demanded that the government take back the Rs62 billion the K-Electric had collected from the people of Karachi by overbilling before allowing its owners to sell the power utility to a Chinese firm.

He gave 30 days to the federal, provincial and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to solve problems of Karachi after which his party would announce its future course of action.

PSP President Anis Kaimkhani, Dr Sagheer Ahmed and others also spoke.

Resolutions

Participants of the public meeting unanimously adopted several resolutions read out by PSP secretary general Raza Haroon.

The party demanded that the local government be given financial and administrative powers under Article 140-A of the Constitution.

The forthcoming population census should be held in a transparent and impartial manner and there should be no political interference.

The meeting also demanded clean drinking water, improved sanitation and sewerage system, public transport, parks, hospitals and educational institutions for the people of Karachi.

Through another resolution, the party demanded that cadet colleges be established in Karachi and Hyderabad on the pattern the army opened in Fata and Balochistan. Youths of Karachi be recruited in the army and a Balochistan-like package be given to them.

Published in Dawn January 30th, 2017