KARACHI - PSP chief Mustafa Kamal hit back on MQM-Pakistan leader on Saturday claiming that it was Farooq Sattar on whose insistence the establishment arranged their meeting that resulted in a short-lived alliance between the two parties.
“Today, I admit that the alliance was brokered by the establishment. And when we went to meet Farooq Sattar, he [along with some other MQM leaders] was already there sitting with the [representatives of] establishment,” Pak Sarzameen Party chairman told a press conference at his party headquarter.
Mustufa said that half truths were being fed to the public and an impression was created that PSP was created and being sustained by the establishment. Instead, it was Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan that was created by the establishment, he held.
“One should not forget that Farooq Sattar was taken to Rangers headquarters after Altaf Hussain’s August 22, 2016 speech”; he was released after eight hours and later he became leader of the MQM-P, he said. MQM-P was formed in the room of [then Sindh Rangers DG] Gen Bilal Akbar, he said.
He claimed that MQM leaders in Pakistan were still close to Altaf Hussain, whom he termed a traitor and an agent of Indian intelligence agency RAW. “The establishment of country is not doing anything wrong by eliminating the supporters of Research and Analysis Wing from the country,” said PSP chief.
Alliance meeting
Giving details about the formation of the electoral alliance between PSP and MQM-P on November 8, Mustufa Kamal said this alliance was not created in just 48 hours but the matter was under discussion for past eight months, on the desire of MQM-P convener Dr Farooq Sattar.
Kamal said Farooq had told lies in his press briefing. He said MQM-P chief made the entire episode look as if PSP was after him and it took establishment’s help to forge the alliance.
Farooq Sattar spread the rumour that establishment kidnapped him and gave an impression that their Nov 8 joint press conference was held on establishment’s order, he said. The reality is contrary to it, Mustufa said, adding that it was in fact Farooq Sattar who reached PSP through the establishment for a merger of the two parties.
The meeting in which the decision of alliance was finalised was also called by MQM-P chief’s request. “When I along with other PSP leaders went to attend the meeting, Sattar, along with Waseem Akhter, Faisal Sabzwari, Kawajha Izharul Hassan, Ameenul Haq and others, was already there sitting with the [representatives of] establishment.”
Kamal showed a copy of the paper narrating that establishment had made this alliance while according to the report MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari had leaked all the information about the meeting before the formation of alliance.
“I offered Farooq Sattar to join PSP but he refused and later the discussion came to an end with a plan of contesting election on a common yet third platform.”
MQM still belongs to ‘traitor’
PSP chairman said in his press talk that MQM still belonged to Altaf Hussain. He said that Farooq Sattar has not spoken even a single word against Altaf since his becoming head of MQM-P. The question is still there that whether MQM-P leadership has disassociated itself with Altaf Hussain.
He reminded that on August 22, 2016 Altaf Hussain ordered attack on media houses but no one from MQM stopped him. And Farooq Sattar along with other leaders welcomed his anti-Pakistan slogans by saying “Ji Bhai, Ji Bhai” (Yes Brother, Yes Brother), he added.
“I will end my party and ask my workers to return home, but I will not be a part of the MQM because the MQM was and still is Altaf Hussain’s, and will continue to be so,” Mustufa declared.
“Altaf Hussain is a traitor and a RAW agent. If he is working openly for RAW, he is not doing any service to his own country,” he alleged.
“An alliance happens between two parties. If I don’t believe in the MQM at all, how can I forge an alliance with them?” he asked.
‘Misuse’ of Mohajir card
He said that MQM says they are concerned that their mandate would be split and this would cause loss to Mohjir community, but those exploiting the name of Mohajirs for their political goals were in fact the biggest enemies of Mohajirs.
Terming Farooq Sattar as an enemy of Mohajir community, Mustufa Kamal went on to say that MQM-P with a claim to have mandate of city has not done anything to resolve the miseries of the citizens.
“Why is Karachi still facing massive issues when you claim to love and serve people questioned?” he asked Farooq, directly addressing him.
He said both MQM and PSP leaders including himself had done politics in the name of Mohajirs for 35 years but the city had had enough of such politics. The dirty politics has yielded nothing except creating divisions, he said.
Talking about MQM-P visit to “Martyrs Monument”, Kamal questioned: “Is Farooq Sattar not aware who killed Imran Farooq?” He added that Farooq has seen ‘those files’ and know that Imran Farooq’s killer is none other than Altaf Hussain.
He said those who are talking about the welfare of all types of people are being termed anti-Mohajir, and asked those using the name of the Mohajir community: “What have you done for the Mohajirs?”
The PSP chief said if he didn’t talk about the welfare of all communities, the Mohajirs would get no benefit either.
Taking a swipe at Farooq Sattar, Mustufa Kamal said even if his (Mustufa’s) mother had been alive, he would not have involved her in politics to hide his [evil] deeds.
PSP contacts with establishment
Talking about his contacts with the establishment, PSP chairman accepted that he was in contact with the security agencies.
“Why will I not support the establishment, it’s of my country, and not of India,” he said. “Establishment is not doing anything wrong by eliminating RAW [supports] from the country.”
Kamal said he had been making efforts in numerous parts of Pakistan and around the world in many countries and “thousands of people” are joining his party, and asked, “Is it all done by the establishment?”
He further informed that through their contacts with the establishment the PSP leadership managed to get some 70 missing person of MQM released. However, after Farooq’s speeches against him, the agency has halted the releasing process, he added.
To a question, he said that people of Karachi should not be worry and he assured them that there will be no fighting between PSP and MQM.
MQM-P response
MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari on Saturday said that the allegations of Mustafa Kamal against MQM-P and its leadership had further strengthened the party and gone against the PSP.
“Mustafa Kamal will come to know in next elections as to how badly he had damaged himself through these statements,” he told the media.
Faisal said they had made serious efforts to have a political alliance with PSP but Mustafa Kamal’s recent statements had wasted a chance for PSP.
“It was not MQM-P but PSP that wanted to merge with MQM-Pakistan,” he claimed, adding that they do not want to merge with any political party.
He said that instead of burying the politics in the name of Muhajirs, Mustufa Kamal should have called for ending injustices with the Mohajir community.
“Such statements from Kamal are also alienating his party leaders and 90 of the PSP workers are in contact with the MQM-P, and they will soon return to them when they are free from pressure,” he said.
The MQM leader said they could respond to PSP in more befitting manner but do not wanted to cause any damage to peace of the city.
MQM-P leader Amir Khan also spoke on the occasion and said that the MQM-P was united and it would always remain so.
Establishment brokered alliance on Sattar’s wish: Kamal
Farraz Israr