Kamal warns govt against ‘neglecting’ MQM workers

Published August 24, 2016
Members of civil society protest outside the British deputy high commission on Tuesday against Altaf Hussain’s anti-Pakistan statement.—PPI
Members of civil society protest outside the British deputy high commission on Tuesday against Altaf Hussain’s anti-Pakistan statement.—PPI

KARACHI: Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal has warned the federal and provincial governments against neglecting workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement saying his party will stand by them in this tough time. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the MQM got 85 per cent of the city’s mandate before he and his colleagues returned to Karachi and announced quitting the MQM.

He said that people had voted for their so-called leader Altaf Hussain but in return he compromised their mandate with the enemies of Pakistan. “Just 24 hours ago he [Altaf Hussain] showed those asking us for evidence that he is an agent of [Indian intelligence agency] RAW.”

Addressing the people of Karachi and Hyderabad, Mr Kamal said the crackdown on the MQM was inevitable after Mr Hussain’s tirade, but “you should not think that you have been abandoned”.

He said the people got nothing as those representing them did nothing for them. “Hospitals are without medicines, parks have been ruined, and a lack of educational facilities, dilapidated roads has become a common feature of Karachi.”

He said no one cared for the rights of the people, but now he and his party were there to take back people’s rights.

“I warn the federal and provincial governments to resolve problems of Karachi otherwise we will take to streets,” he said. “People of Karachi and workers of the MQM, other than those involved in crime, do not consider themselves alone in this hour.”

About Dr Farooq Sattar’s press conference, he said that what kind of disease the MQM chief had that he became an agent of RAW instead of becoming an agent of Pakistan.

The former Karachi nazim said he had earlier predicted that the MQM chief would seek an apology after the end of his “happy hours”.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016

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