Former local government secretary and retired senior bureaucrat, Javed Hanif, was among over a dozen people who joined the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) on Sunday.
Hanif served as the city’s Executive District Officer (Revenue) in 2003 and was appointed the District Coordination Officer of Karachi in 2007. Among other prominent members of the business community to have joined the MQM-P were Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s senior member, Alamgir Firoz, Khurram Rasool, Imtiaz M Ali and Salman Laiq Abbasi.
Taufeeq Kochin, an important figure of the metropolis’ Memon community, fashion icon and actor, Deepak Perwani, and TV personality, Nazia Ali, were also among the party’s new members.
Introducing the new members, MQM-P chief Dr Farooq Sattar said, “These individuals have their own standing in the fields of fine arts, fashion and civil services. “We will utilise their services in different domains of the party and have them help train our workers.”
Introducing Perwani, Sattar jokingly added that, “Having him [in the party] will solve the Rabita Committee’s Eid problems.” Referring to elected MNAs and MPAs who left MQM-P for the Pak Sarzameen Party as well as other political parties, Sattar said the party would approach the election commission to ensure all such assembly members tender their resignations.
“It’s easy to sit in your house or comment on social media through your computer and not understand what actually is happening [in the city],” said Perwani while addressing the press conference. “We all live in Karachi, we are all a part of Karachi — it’s important that we take responsibility for the city.”
Born in Mirpurkhas, Perwani became a household name in fashion since he started his first set up in 1994. He has never known to have any previous political association. The joining of such influential members, from fields as diverse as business and entertainment, to MQM-P comes at a time when the party, considered unbeatable in the city till last year, is struggling to revamp its image to keep its political base intact.
