KARACHI - Shabbir Qaimkhani, former member of the Coordination Committee of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and 100 other political workers on Saturday announced joining the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) led by Mustafa Kamal.

Shabbir, who was a senior member of the MQM-P and its decision-making body, had resigned from the basic membership of the party on April 4. He had stated that rift in the MQM-P over nomination of candidates for the Senate elections remained unresolved and resulted division of the party.

Shabbir, who joined the MQM in 1985 and served the party on various slots, was nominated for the Senate election, but he withdrew his candidature as part of efforts to end the stalemate within the party. He said in a video message that the main reason for his departure from the MQM was the division in the party that surfaced on February 5 this year and remained unsolved.

Addressing a press conference accompanied by PSP Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal at PSP Headquarters, Pakistan House, on Saturday, Shabbir announced that he has joined the PSP.

Speaking to media men, Kamal said that his party did not belong to any specific community; it wanted progress of Sindh and Pakistan. Keeping in view the party’s agenda, he said, the PSP leadership was spreading the message of unity and trying to bring all the communities on one page. He said that people should know that destruction of Karachi would create problems for the entire country, as the port city was considered to be the economic hub of Pakistan and played a key role in country’s progress.

Shabbir Qaimkhani and 100 other workers belonging to various districts and units announced their decision to join the PSP today, he said. Those who are still in a state of confusion should come forward and join the PSP because it is future of the province and the country, he said.

Kamal said that currently the port city was witnessing 18 hours of loadshedding per day and the K-Electric had come up with the excuse that shortage of gas was the reason for the extreme power outages.

He said that KE and SSGC had started fooling people, increasing their miseries in the hot weather, said the PSP leader. He appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar to take suo motu notice of the situation.

Talking to media men, Shabbir Qaimkhani said that MQM-P had lost its credibility and it was no more party of the middle class. He said that MQM-P leaders were running after party offices. “I have not joined the PSP under any pressure, but I found it the right political force, which is working to bring people on a platform. The impression that establishment is forcing MQM-P leaders to switch loyalties is completely wrong. We are not afraid of anyone and have joined Kamal’s PSP out of our free will,” he said. He said that Dr Farooq Sattar came to him on Thursday night and sought his support, but he refused as he believed in unity of the party. He said the party leadership had ruined the party on March 18 this year by holding separate foundation day gatherings. He said, The MQM remains divided and I resigned keeping in view this situation,” he said.

Shabbir further said that Kamal on various occasions had invited MQM-P leadership to join the PSP and it was now his term to invited them to the PSP. “I invite MQM-P leaders, especially Dr Farooq Sattar and Amir Khan, to join hands with the PSP and work for betterment of Sindh and Pakistan,” he concluded.