No show-cause notice received from Bahadurabad, claims Sattar

Almost a week on, disgruntled Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar is yet to respond to the show-cause notice issued to him by the party’s coordination committee over his forming a group within the party. Instead, he is adamant that he would take up the reins.

Sattar had on Sunday constituted a three-member committee under the chair of his group’s labour division incharge Engr Kashif Khan, tasking the body with making arrangements for intra-party elections, revival of the party’s organisational structure in the city and activation of the party’s workers.

Talking to the media at the city courts on Monday, Sattar denied receiving any show-cause notice and said he had had given a “befitting” reply. He claimed that he was being sidelined because he spoke against the hegemony of “a few people” within the party and sought their accountability.

“Sacking me from the party meant to stop the accountability process. I had demanded that party leaders should declare their assets,” he said, asking the MQM-P leadership to explain how they amassed their assets. “Even after the MQM founder, dictatorship exists in the party.”

Besides the August 22, 2016 incident that made Altaf Hussain lose his grip over the MQM, the party since this February has been going through an internal conflict, predominantly between the PIB Colony and Bahadurabad groups of Sattar and Amir Khan respectively.

After a brief lull, tension between the groups re-emerged two weeks ago, when Sattar formed an Organisation Restoration Committee (ORC), calling it a prelude to the MQM-Nazaryati, which he says should be based along the lines of 1986, when the MQM’s popularity was allegedly at an all-time high.

According to the ORC, all the party workers and office-bearers should be restored to their pre-February 5 position, and the intra-party polls should be held to elect chairman, vice-chairman, general secretary and the like instead of convener, deputy convener and other coordination committee members.

In reaction to this, the Bahadurabad group accepted Sattar’s resignation from his coordination committee membership that he had served in September. The group has already asked him to appear before the committee and respond to their reservations.

A spokesperson for the Bahadurabad group said the coordination committee will convene a meeting in a day or two over Sattar’s silence and decide the future course of action. He added that disciplinary action over Sattar’s behaviour will be taken accordingly.