Another MQM-P lawmaker jumps to Kamal’s bandwagon

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Another lawmaker from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Wednesday switched his sides and joined Mustafa Kamal led Pak Sarzameen Party, developing a new trend in the city politics.

Member of provincial assembly from PS 102, Haji Anwar announced to join PSP here in joint news conference with his new party chairman Mustafa Kamal and President Anees Qaimkhani.

Before the announcement Anwar called in both central leaders and discussed different issues. Last week lawmakers had joined PSP whereas a senior member of Rabita Committee had also announced to quit the party over what he called “rift between Bahadurabad and PIB factions.”

Shabeer Qaimkhani, who is an important leader and member of the party coordination committee – a decision making body called Rabita Committee – announced that he has quit the party.

Qaimkhani resigned of the basic membership. “We have lost so much due to this internal rifts and I, as protest, have skipped many important meetings,” Qaimkhani told.

“I remain at home for seventeen days and now have finally resigned of the basic membership,” he said.

Meanwhile, a member of the national assembly belonging to the MQM-Pakistan announced to join the Mustafa Kamal led Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) which secure several leaders who defected of the MQM’s factions.

Addressing a presser along with Anees Qaimkhani, president of the PSP, Muzzamil Qureshi, a member national assembly from the Farooq Sattar-led PIB faction of the MQM Pakistan said he has quit MQM and joined the PSP.

Qureshi said that he has joined PSP as there is no scandal or pressure within the party. “We need to form a way to solve problems of the Urdu-speaking community.”

Qureshi requested the media to stop using words such as ‘kites’ and ‘wickets’ to refer to people leaving MQM-Pakistan.

“We are not kites or wickets. We are people who have made the decision on our own accord. We want to work for the betterment of the people,” he added.

He shared that tried his best to unite the two factions of the MQM-Pakistan but it seemed impossible now.

On April 1, another lawmaker and leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan joined PSP.

MQM-P MNA from Hyderabad, Waseem Hussain, announced joining the PSP at a press conference alongside PSP leaders.

On March 29, MQM-P MNA Dr Fouzia Hameed announced to have joined PSP in a press conference at the party’s central office, Pakistan House.

Earlier, two women provincial lawmakers of MQM-P MPAs Naheed Begum and Naila Munir had jumped ship.