KARACHI: In a tit-for-tat reaction, Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Mustafa Kamal has termed Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Dr Farooq Sattar a “liar” and declared that he will never accept him into his party fold.

“I always said that we will never shut our doors to anyone, but today I announce that my door will always be closed for Farooq Sattar,” Mr Kamal told a press conference at the PSP headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

The press conference was primarily held to announce that another woman lawmaker of the MQM-P, Sumeta Afzal Syed, joined the PSP.

Mr Kamal rejected Dr Sattar’s allegation that the PSP was pressuring MQM-P lawmakers to part ways with their party.

Lashing out at Dr Sattar for his early morning press conference, the PSP chief revealed that it was Dr Sattar who had called PSP President Anis Kaimkhani and begged him to send his workers in his public meeting.

“On the day of Senate election, Farooq Sattar begged Anis Kaimkhani for two votes [for his candidate]. On March 24, he asked Anis Kaimkhani to meet him alone at a friend’s home in district East. Sattar met Anis Kaimkhani and asked him what package he would offer if the verdict [on convenership of the MQM-P] came against him. Anis Bhai told him that we will come to your home to bring you to the PSP. But the day the verdict came he started talking against us,” he said.

Mr Kamal went on to allege that when he was in the MQM, he and other people invited Dr Sattar’s attention towards MQM founder Altaf Hussain’s speeches he made in ‘inebriated condition’. “To which, he told us to wait for the death of Altaf Hussain as he is helpless and cannot do anything.”

He said that Dr Sattar had met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday at Sindh Governor House and his Sunday’s press conference was actually in continuation of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance.

He said that two groups of the MQM-P were fighting each other but the PSP did not utter a word on their infight since it did not want to take political advantage of the situation.

He said Dr Sattar himself accused Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar and Amir Khan of committing corruption.

He asked whether the PSP was responsible for their infight. “Today, Farooq Sattar’s politics is finished.”

Mr Kamal said that those defected from the MQM joined the PSP after his party leaders held hours-long meeting with them.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Sumeta Syed said she had decided to join the PSP of her own free will. “There is no pressure on me. I myself expressed the desire to join the PSP as I want to work for the betterment of Pakistan and this city.”

At the same press conference, local Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Khan Niazi, former president of the Pakistan Peoples Party West district Ali Afsar Tanoli and others also announced joining the PSP.

Earlier on Saturday, senior MQM-P leader from Mirpurkhas Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani, who recently quit the party because of infighting and grouping, announced joining the PSP.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2018