KARACHI: Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal promised on Tuesday to develop Karachi again and put the country’s commercial capital on the path of progress and prosperity if voted to power in the coming elections.

Speaking at a ‘Meet the Press’ programme of the Karachi Press Club, Mr Kamal said he was proud to be a Mohajir, but Karachi needed national politics more than any other city of Pakistan.

Mr Kamal said he built the metropolis when he was the city mayor and if voted to power, he would develop the city and address the people’s problems.

He said that devolution of powers at the lowest level, and not creation of a new province, was the solution to people’s problems.

He said the people of Karachi had no other option than the PSP and the next chief minister of Sindh would be elected either from the PSP platform or with its support.

The PSP chairman said water had become the biggest problem of Karachi. He said the gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that the chief justice of Pakistan had to issue directives for lifting garbage in Karachi.

MQM-P slammed for Mohajir politics

Lashing out at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan for doing politics in the name of a new province, he said: “Those doing Mohajir politics are the biggest enemy of Mohajirs.”

He added that the MQM-P did not want a new province in Sindh and it was only exploiting the sentiments of the Urdu-speaking people.

He questioned whether the MQM-P had ever held a meeting with any other party on creation of a new province. “The MQM cannot take one step [on this matter] in the light of the Constitution.”

Mr Kamal said the slogan of a new province by the MQM-P would only fan hatred between permanent residents of Sindh.

Irked by playing of ‘Mohajir card’ by the MQM-P, the former Karachi mayor claimed that the MQM had a secret understanding with both the PML-N and the PPP and they were going to make seat adjustment with the Awami National Party.

He said there was a dire need for “adjusting hearts”, and not seats, with people of other ethnic backgrounds in the metropolis.

He said the Mohajirs supported the MQM but its elected representatives did nothing even for the provision of water in their localities. “They raised Jaag Mohajir Jaag slogan but what did the Mohajirs get [in return]? Mohajir youths have been missing after the party raised this slogan.”

Although he was critical of the PPP’s governance in the province, he made it clear that he had no enmity with Sindh’s largest party.

He also said in future his party would make a political alliance with any other party.

He said that law enforcement agencies had rendered sacrifices for peace in Karachi, but credit also went to the PSP which did not retaliate despite “provocations” during the past two years.

Answering a question, he said he was not a ‘B team’ of anyone.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2018