KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) dissident Anis Kaimkhani on Friday called for an end to differences between Urdu-speakers and Sindhis, and emphasised on unity in the province.

At a press conference alongside Raza Haroon, he said the 'new party' announced earlier this month by former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal was not just for Urdu-speaking people.

Addressing Sindhis in their mother tongue, he said, "This is not just our party, this is also your party. Let's unite to end hatred between Urdu-speaking and Sindhi people."

"The party will operate on a national level, and will not be limited to Karachi," said Kaimkhani.

A day after Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad's distanced himself from the 'new party', saying, “I would have been in the forefront and not behind the party if I were with them," Kaimkhani said the former MQM workers had the utmost respect for Ibad, who would have been in their midst ─ not behind or in front of them ─ if he had joined the yet-unnamed party.

"We don't have to take a wicket in every press conference," he said, adding that people's problems would also be subject of discussion in the future, and that the party would make a formal announcement on March 23.

Since Mustafa Kamal's first press conference, he has pulled former MQM members Kaimkhani, Raza Haroon, Dr Sagheer, Iftikhar Alam and Waseem Aftab into his 'new party'.

The party, which is yet to be named, will hold its first rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah.