MQM to run from Pakistan not London: Farooq Sattar

Says if Altaf is facing any mental stress then this problem should be resolved first; party dissociates from Monday’s incidents; Amir Liaquat quits Muttahida; Rabita Committee London says party affairs to be run as per past practice

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has announced its disassociation from the MQM London and Altaf Hussain. This was announced by MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar while addressing a press conference, along with other leaders, in Karachi on Tuesday.

Distancing himself from the extremely controversial and provocative anti-Pakistan statements made by the party leadership in London, Farooq Sattar said decisions of the MQM will now be made in Pakistan instead of London. He said officials should open the sealed offices of the MQM and release the arrested workers.

Farooq Sattar also condemned the attack on media houses in Karachi on Monday. He said the MQM is registered in Pakistan and will do politics of Pakistan. He said mayors of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas will be from the MQM. He said if Altaf Hussain is  MQM. He said if Altaf Hussain is facing any mental stress, then this problem should be resolved first. Sattar also chanted slogans of "long live Pakistan" and "long live MQM."

The announcement followed a crackdown by the Sindh Rangers on the MQM leaders and offices after party workers stormed media offices on the directives of party chief Altaf Hussain who lives in self exile in London.

Several anti-Pakistan slogans were raised during the party chief's live telephonic speech on Monday. At least one person was killed in the violence that ensued after the provocative speech.

However, at the press conference on Tuesday, the party dissociated itself from the controversial anti-state slogans. "Such statements should not have been chanted," Sattar said, adding it was not the policy of the MQM to attack the media houses as he condemned what transpired on Monday.

"Please give us the chance to tell you what our heart says," said Sattar who along with five top MQM leaders and several other workers was taken into the Rangers custody on Monday night but released earlier today. 

"Whether it is a worker or the leader of the party, the MQM will not allow this to happen again. This was wrong and it should not have happened. And our leader also apologised," he said. Dr Farooq Sattar stated that whatever happened in Karachi on Monday was horrible, adding that such slogans were raised against Pakistan which should have never been raised. He said the MQM was registered in Pakistan and believes in the country's Constitution thus it was essential that the party gets operated from Pakistan as well.

For the first time, the MQM leader openly talked about the party chief's mental illness. "We have decided that if there is any mental stress, this problem should be addressed." But he added: "I respect Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain."

About the Monday's debacle, Sattar said: "The result is that the political gains that we had achieved and all of Pakistan had begun to realise that we had some valid reasons but with only one mistake we were ridiculed and all the party and its voters and supporters were also ridiculed." 

He said the political gains that their hunger strike made were sabotaged by the political chief's mistake. "If this thing is recurring time and again, we have decided with Rabita Committee also part of it...that sanity needs to prevail and that damage control needs to be taken. Our decision is that this cannot be repeated from the MQM's platform."

He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was a Pakistani political party and wanted to do politics in Pakistan. "I assure all of you that every MQM worker strongly denounces the speeches made yesterday. It is our stated policy from day one. MQM dissociates itself from yesterday’s speeches strongly condemns it and regrets if it has hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan."

Sattar stated that all decisions of the MQM shall be made in Pakistan from now onwards. He said that those who raised slogans against Pakistan should form another political party. He said that anti-Pakistan slogans cannot be tolerated, adding that making such statements was not part of the party's policy.

Sattar said that peace in Karachi needed to be maintained at all costs. "We never asked for this operation to be shut down. Our policy yesterday and even today remains committed to zero tolerance for criminals."

He said they condemned the anti-Pakistan statement. He said the thought about imposing a ban on the MQM should be ended. He demanded that Nine-Zero be opened again and all other party offices should be unsealed. He also said that the party denounces the attacks on the offices of private news channels.

Farooq Sattar stated that his integrity and that of the Muhajir community should not be viewed with suspicion time and again. He claimed that it was not the MQM's policy to achieve its goals through the use of violence.

He stated that the press conference he was addressing today [Tuesday] was intended to take place yesterday [Monday] but the party was not allowed to present its stance after the unrest in Karachi on Monday. "I pleaded to the paramilitary Rangers force to give us the opportunity to speak our hearts."

He said the elections for mayors and deputy mayors will take place today (Wednesday). "We urge our councilors and nazims to gather at Nine-Zero to prepare for the elections," he said.

Khawaja Izharul Hassan said Amir Khan who was in hospital endorsed the views of Dr Farooq Sattar regarding the MQM. "We openly and strongly condemn the attacks on media houses. We will never shelter those who are behind the violence," he said.

Dr Amir Liaquat on the occasion said Pakistan was made by Mohajirs. Therefore, we would always chant Long Live Pakistan, Pakistan Zindabad.

Meanwhile, MQM Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil, talking to a private TV channel, stated that the party leader Farooq Sattar’s press conference did not create any confusion, adding that the Rabita Committee London used to handle 95 percent of the party’s affairs earlier also, and the affairs will continue to run as they were in the past.

In response to Farooq Sattar’s press conference, Wasay Jalil stated that the MQM was registered in Pakistan and that Sattar was technically the party’s head, adding that Nadeem Nusrat was the party’s convener and shall continue to serve at his post.

He said the MQM chief was the party’s founder and shall continue serving so. Wasay Jalil stated that the process of consultation was necessary before making any move.

Meanwhile, MQM leader Amir Liaquat Tuesday night announced his resignation from the party after what he described as “failure to defend the anti-Pakistan statements”, Geo News reported.

During a programme, Amir Liaquat maintained that he was tired of defending such statements [issued by MQM chief Altaf Husssain].

Liaquat, who was explaining Farooq Sattar’s press conference in the programme, suddenly announced his resignation from the MQM and clarified that “his decision is not emotional” and it was because he could not defend the anti-Pakistan statements.

“I apologise again and again from Pakistan and the people of Pakistan. Nothing is more important to me than Pakistan,” said Liaquat who had recently rejoined the MQM and was vigorously defending the party on the media since then. 

Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain on Tuesday apologised to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and Director General (DG) Rangers Maj Gen Bilal Akber for his vitriolic speech a day earlier in which he spoke against Pakistan.