March 24, 2016
News
Mustafa Kamal unveils ‘Pak Sarzameen Party’
KARACHI: Former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Mustafa Kamal unveiled on Wednesday the name of his newly launched movement, the “Pak Sarzameen Party”.
“I announce the name of our party with a prayer that may God guide us and me he bless us. The name of our party and the party of people will be Pak Sarzameen Party,” he said while addressing the gathering in Clifton. “We have not come to snatch away someone’s power,” said the former Karachi mayor. “We all already had power and positions, but we threw away these privileges for the sake of the people.” Critcising the existing parties for having party flags, Kamal said his party will not have any, and would rather hand over the flag of Pakistan to his workers.
“We know the Election Commission of Pakistan will ask for a separate party flag and we will give them that. But we will not use it nor hoist it on our houses. Instead, we will use the flag of our country.” Speaking against the creation of new provinces, Kamal said it would be of no use without devolution of power to the local bodies. “If we make new provinces, there would be 20 feudal lords instead of four. It is pointless.” Former MQM leaders Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Waseem Aftab, Iftikhar Alam, Anees Advocate and Raza Haroon joined Kamal following his announcement to launch a new party on March 3.
He simultaneously accused London-based MQM chief Altaf Hussain of instigating terrorism in Karachi, calling him an agent of the Indian spy agency RAW. Kamal said his party will release its manifesto in the near future. The manifesto is being drafted by those who are “most competent”, he said. “It should be clear to you that those of us on this path are not here to distribute power, gain power, to steal power or to steal positions,” Kamal said, adding that he and his colleagues “curse such power, posts and privilege which cannot serve the people”.
“The people of Karachi are witness to the time we had the power to bring change,” he said while referring to his time as mayor of the metropolis. “And when the time came that those positions were just posts of power, we left.” “The day we distanced ourselves from this sin, we became rich,” he said, gesturing to himself and colleague Anis Kaimkhani, while referring to their separation from MQM. “The freedom of Kashmir is the first priority of the establishment... Which Pakistani doesn’t want freedom for Kashmir? If the establishment has the same agenda, does that mean Pakistanis will stop wanting it?” he asked. Lamenting the fragmentation of the population along ethnic and religious lines, he said, “We don’t want to divide people’s hearts further.” “If you want to join us, you must first respect our political opponents,” he said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk