By Muhammad Luqman
The current war of words between Karachi-based political parties took a new twist on Saturday when Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal alleged that the establishment called upon his party to form an alliance with the Farooq Sattar-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) upon Sattar’s request.
Kamal told a press conference while responding to developments following the announcement of his party’s alliance with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) earlier this week.
Kamal said Pakistanis were being given the impression that the establishment was behind the political alliance between MQM-P and PSP.
Confirming the speculation, he said the establishment had been calling the PSP to meet MQM-P at the request of Sattar for past eight months, English newspaper Daily Dawn reported.
“Today I want to tell all of Pakistan that, yes, the establishment called us and made us meet Farooq Sattar. When we reached, Sattar was already there and it was on his request that we were called. This did not happen a few hours ago. Sattar and his team have been calling us with help from the establishment for the past eight months,” he claimed.
“This is not a plan that is eight months old, however. It is a plan that started on Aug 22, 2016, when Farooq Sattar was [put in charge],” he added.
“I am not an agent [of the establishment]. If I was, I would not leave my senatorship in 2013.”
“I will end my party and ask my workers to return home, but I will not be a part of the MQM because the MQM was and still is Altaf Hussain’s, and will continue to be… Altaf Hussain is a traitor and a Research and Analysis Wing agent. If he is working openly for RAW, he is not doing any work for his own country,” he alleged.
He accused the MQM of still being close to the party’s founder, saying that they had not once said a word against Hussain throughout the drama that unfolded this past week.
“An alliance happens between two parties. If I don’t believe in the MQM at all, how can I forge an alliance with them?” he asked.
Kamal said he had been making efforts in numerous parts of Pakistan and around the world in many countries and “thousands of people” are joining his party.
“Is it all done by the establishment?” he questioned.
Kamal said it was his party that had convinced the establishment to release 70 missing Mohajir men.
Kamal alleged that his party was accused of being establishment-backed, but it was MQM-P that was formed at the Rangers headquarters “under the supervision of [then DG Rangers] Gen Bilal Akbar”.
