KARACHI: Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) dissident Mustafa Kamal on Thursday asked the government to ban the MQM in light of allegations of collaboration with Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

"If these allegations against such leaders and politicians associating with foreign agencies are even 5 per cent correct... if there is proof, the government should ban these parties," the PSP leader said, in a reference to allegations that the party has been receiving funds from RAW.

"If the government believes we are wrong in saying so, we won't speak about this matter. But the government is saying the same things," he claimed.

Kamal claimed Britain’s former deputy head of Mission in Karachi Shaharyar Khan Niazi had earlier said there was a formal written agreement between MQM and RAW "against Pakistan" that detailed "what to do and what not to do".

"They should either ban the party or make it clear that we are liars and file cases against us and ban us," he said.

Kamal's revelations

Earlier in March, when Kamal returned to Pakistan, the MQM dissident unleashed a salvo of bombastic ‘revelations’ against party supremo Altaf Hussain, accusing him of deception, addressing workers while intoxicated and poor running of the MQM.

Since then, the former mayor of Karachi has pulled former MQM heavyweights Advocate Anis, Raza Haroon, Anis Kaimkhani, Dr Sagheer, Iftikhar Alam, Waseem Aftab into his party.

The Pak Sarzameen Party's name was announced on March 23 and since then the party has opened offices in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas.

Advocate Anis and Raza Haroon both have slammed Altaf Hussain, saying the MQM chief is the reason behind party members jumping ship. However, the MQM has denied all allegations regarding the 'minus-Altaf formula' and claims its workers are being 'forced to change loyalties'.

Kamal and his colleagues have not specifically denied these allegations or others that suggest the new party is being backed by 'certain quarters'.