KARACHI: Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal on Sunday claimed that at least 14 members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had sold their votes in the Saturday’s Senate elections. “14 members of MQM-P sold their mandate … but people with good character are still present,” Kamal alleged at a press conference in Karachi. “MQM-P women members voted for PPP out of anger for Kamran Tessori,” he claimed. “PSP did not ask its MPAs to resign on the demand of MQM. Our members voted for PML-F,” he added. Kamal, who has been embroiled in a feud with the MQM since his return to Pakistan, claimed that eight PSP leaders in the Sindh Assembly had rejected all the offers to sell their votes. Had PSP members not voted for PML-F, the seat would also have fallen to the PPP, he claimed. The PSP chief alleged that the differences of MQM-P lawmakers with Dr Farooq Sattar-backed candidate Kamran Tessori were used as an excuse for horse-trading and selling of votes to the PPP in Senate election. The former Karachi mayor said that ‘greed’ played a major role in MQM-P’s poor performance in the Senate elections. He urged the Urdu-speaking community to be thankful that three out of four candidates of MQM-P were not elected. “MQM is a brain tumor which cannot be treated with Panadol,” he added. Kamal reminded the leaders of the MQM’s splinter groups, Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, of his offer to join the PSP. “I am ready to welcome them with open arms,” he said, adding that the city would once again witness bloodshed if the MQM-P factions fail to unite. The PSP chief stated that he had no personal enmity with the MQM-P but lamented that the mandate of the Muhajir community was being sold for the past 30 years. “Has MQM ever raised voice for the rights of the Muhajirs?” he asked. Taking a jibe at Farogh Nasim, the PSP chief said that he remained a senator for the past six years but never raised voice for the rights of Karachi’s citizens. Earlier in the day, MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar accused the PPP of horse-trading and counted it as the reason behind the big failure of his party in the Saturday’s polls. MQM-P, practically divided into two factions over the award of Senate ticket to Kamran Tessori, received a major setback with only one of its candidates reaching the Upper House despite a ‘patch-up’ between the rival factions just a day earlier. Published in Daily Times, March 5th 2018.