LAHORE: Former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal on Saturday arrived here on his maiden visit after he formed Pak Sarzameen Party in March this year and vowed to cultivate voters in the stronghold of the PML-N through what he said a different approach -- issued-based politics.

On his three-day visit along with his comrades, the prime purpose of the PSP chief is to organise his party in Punjab. He has plans to hold first workers’ convention here in early next year.

“The kind of reception I got here heralds good tidings for the party in Punjab,” Mustafa Kamal told Dawn here on Saturday.

“We have arrived here to stay. The party organisation in nine divisions of Punjab is under way and hopefully we will complete it in coming three months. Thereafter we will hold worker conventions in central, south and upper Punjab,” he said.

Mr Kamal sees a lot of room in Punjab where the people especially the youth will pay attention to party’s message.

“Our style of politics in Punjab will not be that of targeting someone but it will be issue based.”

A few months ago PSP senior leader Raza Haroon had visited Lahore and some other districts of Punjab to start the spadework for launching the party in the province. Most of Altaf Hussain’s MQM office-bearers in Punjab had joined hands with the PSP which somehow helped it initiate its work here.

To a question about his plans to make inroads in Punjab in the presence of PML-N, PTI and PPP, Kamal said: “PSP is setting new trends. We are going to empower the lower and middle classes. We will press the government in Punjab to devolve power. The chief minister should not perform the work of the local government.”

About making adjustment with any ‘like-minded’ party, Mr Kamal said at the moment the PSP was only interested in building the party in the province.

Mr Kamal hopes that the Punjab government will not create any hurdle in the working of the PSP here.

The PSP chief also visited the residence of the late PPP leader Jehangir Badar and condoled with his sons.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2016