KARACHI - Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Kamran Tissori and Pakhtun leader Dr Jahanzaib Mughal on Friday announced joining the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). Both leaders made these announcements during a press conference along with MQM-P convener Dr Farooq Sattar and deputy convener Amir Khan at party’s temporary head office in PIB Colony in Karachi.
Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, Ameenul Haq, Faisal Sabzwari, Shabir Qaimkhani, Irshad Hussain, Rauf Siddiqui, Abdul Khanzada, Javaid Kazmi, Mehfoozyar Khan, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar and MQM-P legislators were also present on the occasion. On their arrival, both leaders were given a warm welcome and showered with rose petals.
Speaking to the media, Dr Farooq Sattar said that Kamran Tissori was in contact with the party and he had expressed his desire to join the party ranks before August 22 last year. He said that Tissori and Dr Mughal had expressed their confidence in the leadership of the MQM-Pakistan. He said that MQM-Pakistan was the only party in the political field that stood for betterment of the middleclass of the country. The joining of the two leaders is the first step towards unification of the MQM-P and other people would also join the party ranks soon, he said.
Demanding that the establishment give space to MQM-P, Sattar said that party held a historic public gathering last year on December 30 and proved that it still enjoyed the mandate of the city. “I think the MQM-P should be given the space to run its political activities in the city. The authorities should handover the charge of the MQM-P offices and halt the unjustified raids and arrests of party workers,” Sattar said. He called for measures on an immediate basis for the recovery of missing party activists.
Sattar said that a transparent census was essential for a prosperous future of the country. He said that transfer of powers to elected local government representatives was the only way to addressing the sense of deprivation.
Showing gratitude to MQM-P, Karman Tissori said that being a political worker he always worked for growth of the Sindh province and would continue to work in this direction from the platform of MQM-P. “For the last 10 years, I have seen that MQM-P is being victimised and people are being deprived of their basic rights,” said Tissori. He added, “I am son of Karachi and keeping in view the situation of the city I decided to become the worker of the MQM-P with an aim to play my role for the betterment of the city.”
Drawing attention to various issues of Karachi, Tissori said that rulers had been ignoring the city for long and people were facing various issues like unemployment, shortage of water and a lack of cleanliness.
He demanded that the government show seriousness over the prevailing situation in Karachi and transfer powers to the elected local government.
Meetings in drawing-rooms will not resolve Karachi’s issues, said Dr Jahanzaib Mughal. He asked people to take practical steps for betterment of the city. He said, “I am a Pakhtun and running a hospital in the Nagan Chowrangi area of Karachi,” he said. He said that he found MQM-P the only hope for the people and it could steer them out of the prevailing miserable conditions. Mughal vowed to play his role for progress of the city from platform of the MQM-P.
On the other hand, PML-Functional Parliamentary Leader Nand Kumar on Friday said that Kamran Tessori was not part of their party and those who used party name would be exposed.
Talking to the media on Friday, Nand Kumar said that neither there was a place for Kamran Tessori in the PML-F nor there would be any in future. “Those talking to the media and associating themselves with the Functional League had no association with us,” he said, adding that associating himself with the PML-F was a conspiracy against the party and those using party name for publicity will be exposed.