PESHAWAR: The Pak Sarzameen Party founded by former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal was launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday.

The party leadership also announced the formation of organising committee to propose names for the provincial and divisional cabinets in two months.

The launch was announced by PSP general secretary Raza Haroon during a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club.

He was accompanied by PSP central vice chairman Waseem Aftab and other office-bearers.

Mr. Haroon said an eight members committee would supervise the party at the provincial level, while the divisional level bodies would focus their attention on the party’s strengthening in relevant districts and at grassroots levels. He said the people had had enough of the traditional political parties as they had divided the nation in the name of nationalism, ethnicity, socialism, religion, regionalism and sectarianism and thus, causing hatred and polarisation in society.

PSP leaders insist they want to promote love, help people get rights

“Our party’s objectives are to promote love and help people get due rights without going for clashes over installation of party flags and banners. We believe in ideological politics instead of creating no-go areas,” he said.

The PSP leader said the current political system was ineffective as the rulers had failed to deliver.

He said after the death of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, no one properly addressed the issues facing common man.

Mr. Haroon said the people had no role in the prime minister or president’s elections as they were elected by a few hundred elected representatives (MNAs), a mechanism inappropriate.

He said the chief ministers, too, were not directly elected by the people as they came to power through indirect procedure of voting by assembly members.

“The prime minister and chief ministers only represent small constituencies and that is why handpicked, incompetent people get the opportunities to rule the country on basis of their wealth,” he said.

The PSP leader said in the true democratic system, the president and prime minister were elected directly by the common citizens but nothing such had taken place in the country since its creation.

He said the solution to the most problems of the people was the establishment of local bodies but the provincial governments never bothered to devolve powers as every chief minister used the powers of mayors.

“The local bodies have the solution of all problems faced by common man. In a democratic system, issues of health, education and other developmental works could easily be resolved,” he said.

Mr. Haroon said the recent local government elections took place on the orders of the Supreme Court as the rulers weren’t interested in holding them.

He said through the 18th constitutional amendment, powers were devolved to provinces but the provinces didn’t want to devolve powers to the grassroots levels.

“Karachi is mini Pakistan, the main hub of business in the country, but its elected mandate has been stolen by India through RAW agents by massive use of wealth. Complete peace cannot be restored in Karachi unless the city is freed from RAW-funded agents,” he said.

The PSP leader said Indian agents in Karachi were very active to weaken the country’s foundations.

About the arrest of the workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, he said the people had to face that situation due to the abusive language and emotional speeches of MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who lived far away from the country but his party workers had to face the wrath of establishment due to his actions.

“The prime minister, parliament, Kashmir committee and foreign office are not serious about the resolution of Kashmir issue as they always wait for something to happen in the India-occupied valley to say something about the conflict,” he said.

Mr. Haroon said showing solidarity with Kashmiri people was not enough and therefore, the government should keep raising voice for the people of India-occupied Kashmir all through the year. He said his party favoured Kashmir plebiscite and autonomy and offered full support to Kashmiri people in their struggle for rights.

The PSP leader said he and other party leaders left MQM soon after learning about its anti-state plans.

On the occasion, PSP KP organising committee members were named.

Among them were Imtiaz Asad Ali Tanoli, Bashir Afridi, Ihsanullah, Sardar Ali Khan, Nasir Iqbal, Amjad Hussain, Jamshed, Abid Sohail, Arif Bilal and Siraj Afridi.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2016