KARACHI: A retired army official launched his own political party — Pakistan Aam Aadmi Movement (PAAM) — at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, party founder retired Major General Mohammed Saad Khattak said that establishment of the new party was aimed at ending feudal politics and bringing the common man to power.

PAAM would emerge as a real representative party of the masses, which would bring the common man to power as other parties had only used the people for their vested interests, he said.

“Time has come to give an opportunity to new blood in politics by ending the politics being dominated by families, feudal lords and capitalists,” said the retired general.

He said he was striving to bring the common man to the country’s mainstream politics as the present ruling elites had rendered them ‘irrelevant’.

Mr Khattak, who had also served as Pakistan’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka, observed that his party was a movement to provide a political platform to the common man. The party would strive for changing the system in the country, he added.

“The present judicial system has failed to deliver justice,” regretted the retired general, adding that their aim was to bring a modern, responsible and effective system of justice.

Answering a question, he said the party supported an empowered local government system. He also expressed solidarity with the Jamaat-i-Islami’s protest against the recently passed Sindh Local Government Act 2021.

He opined that the real change would occur when the powers would be delegated to the grassroots level.

Acting chairman of the party, Imtiaz Ahmed, said PAAM would become a ‘real democratic party’ as every worker would be given an opportunity to contest for the post of the party head.

He clarified that at present, all posts in the party were temporary and intra-party elections would be conducted after membership of the party was completed.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2022