The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s former heavyweight leader Raza Haroon has quit Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) and relocated to London after developing differences with the party leaders Mustafa Kamal and Anees Qaimkhani over the direction of the party.
Sources have shared that Raza Haroon became disillusioned with PSP after the 2018 elections and decided it was time to call it quits – but quietly and seamlessly.
Raza Haroon now lives with his family in Edgware and he’s no more active in the PSP politics.
Sources shared that lack of coordination, consultation, immature decision making, and poor handling of political situations resulted in him and other Central Executive Members (CEC) members leaving the party. Other prominent leaders who have either left PSP or gone silent are Senior Vice Chairman Anis Advocate, Senior Vice Chairman Doctor Sagheer Ahmed, Vice Chairman Waseem Aftab, Vice Chairman Aftkhar Randhawa, and dozens of former senior MQM members.
Sources close to Raza Haroon confirmed that he is no longer on talking terms with the PSP leadership. When approached for comment, a spokesman of PSP refused to offer comment and said only Raza Haroon can explain why he left the party.
One of the best orators and firebrands the MQM produced, Raza Haroon defended Altaf Hussain to the hilt when he was with him and did the same for Mustafa Kamal and PSP.
It was in March 2016 when Raza Haroon joined former mayor Mustafa Kamal and Anis Qaimkhani and later became one of the founding members of the PSP. Raza Haroon was amongst the biggest names defecting from the MQM and Altaf Hussain to join hands with Kamal to represent the people of urban centres of Sindh in general and the Urdu speaking community in particular.
Living in London with his wife and two children for nearly two decades, Raza Haroon left in secrecy for Karachi and after a week he appeared at a crowded press conference with Kamal and Qaimkhani – two former strongmen of MQM – to announce in an emotional press conference that Altaf Hussain’s politics had brought destruction to Muhajirs and to Karachi and that he was joining PSP to change the fate of Karachi and the Urdu speaking community.
Unlike many other MQM leaders accused of widespread corruption and criminal activities, Raza Haroon’s clean slate political career was presented with much fanfare by the new party.
Raza Haroon was appointed the Secretary-General of the party and remained the new party’s face till after the 2018 elections when PSP failed to make its mark anywhere in Pakistan despite the fact that it managed to hold impressive meetings.
