KARACHI: The Pak Sarzameen Party on Sunday announced that it would organise a women-only rally on May 15 at Bagh-i-Jinnah in the first phase to revive its movement for the rights of Karachi and an empowered local government system.

Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters Pakistan house, PSP chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal criticised both ruling and opposition parties in Sindh and centre, calling them “opportunists and power hungry”.

He said the current political system and the parties which were considered of mainstream of this system could not resolve issues of Karachi. “They [parties] all are part of the problem,” he said.

“They only remember Karachi when they are over stage to make speeches and deceive people for votes. We believe that only PSP has the required ability and honesty to deliver, and our May 15 women-only rally would set the future course of action in this regard,” he said.

Accompanied by PSP president Anis Kaimkhani, he said that the struggle would not end until the Pakistan Peoples Party-led “racist and corrupt” Sindh government hand over budgeting powers and management control of civic departments to the elected local governments and provide funds through the provincial finance commission (PFC).

“These elite parties cannot fool us. Until our demands for an empowered local government system and rights for Karachiites are not met, we will continue our struggle,” he said.

“On one hand, the PTI is protesting over the fall of its government, and on the other the PPP and PML-N are celebrating victory of democracy. But people know it well that they are not their well-wisher, but doing everything for power and authority,” he said.

Accusing major political parties of what he called igniting the politics of hatred, the PSP chairman demanded that they show some respect to each other.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2022