HYDERABAD: Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal has asked party workers to prepare themselves for the next general elections and start setting up election cells and bringing able candidates to the fore.

He was speaking at his party’s first convention of general workers in Scout Ground, Latifabad, on Friday evening. PSP president Anis Qaimkhani, secretary general Raza Haroon and other senior leaders including Dr Saghir Ahmed, Anis Ahmed Advocate, and Ashfaq Manghi also spoke.

Mr Kamal directed his party workers to spread in every street and locality of Hyderabad to play ‘nigehban (protectors)’ of people and hold Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers accountable, but in a democratic and civilised manner.

He said the PSP should play the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for these [MQM-P] lawmakers and look into their gainful activities like getting contracts for themselves and their relatives and use of the MNA/MPA funds. PSP workers should also ask people to hold the lawmakers accountable to their deeds, he added.

Mr Kamal also announced that the PSP would hold its ‘historic’ public meeting in the Pucca Qilla ground on Dec 23 where a people’s court (Awami adalat) would be held to “mark an end to the MQM [MQM-Pakistan and MQM-London] era”. He urged people from different ethnic backgrounds to shun their differences and hug each other. He said PSP workers should spread the message to everyone, irrespective of his ethnic, sectarian and political background.

The PSP chief admitted that it was the founding leader of the MQM who used to tell them how his MNAs and MPAs made fortunes after starting from scratch in his party. But, he did not expel anyone for corruption, he added. He particularly made mention of former Hyderabad nazim Kanwar Naveed (without naming him) accusing him of having thousands of acres of lands, properties and vehicles although till the late 1987 he did not have even a motorbike.

“The former nazim is seeking citizenship in London in lieu of his investments,” he claimed.

He sarcastically said that the MQM-P was in fact a party that emerged out of ‘China cutting’ of MQM-London.

He observed that MQM founder Altaf Hussain never asked the governor [Dr Ishratul Ibad] to quit for 14 years, and claimed that when his [Mr Hussain’s] sister’s residence was raided by Rangers, this made him angry.

Mr Qaimkhani said that Hyderabad’s destructions had started in 1986, when it had chosen a party whose leader told them that people should give him one generation and he would give them a bright future. “But the following 30-year period is a story of destruction,” he observed.

Raza Haroon said that there was no real political party in Pakistan. He said that Mr Kamal and Mr Qaimkhani had today become national leaders.

Dr Saghir Ahmed said that only a powerful district government system could deliver in cities. He said that the system was the third tier of governance and basic requirement of democracy. He said that in the absence of such system, conditions would not change.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2016