Faisal Abidi announces support for Sattar to form MQC

Former senator Faisal Raza Abidi lent support to Dr Farooq Sattar on Wednesday in the latter’s struggle to from Muttahida Qaumi Council (MQC) to unite all factions of the once Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM).

Two days ago, Sattar had announced his plan to form the MQC and had asserted that besides leaders of the MQM factions, he was in contact with other likeminded people from different backgrounds.

“I feel like today I have gotten another right-hand man,” he commented, while talking to reporters outside his residence after meeting with Abidi. “Ali Raza Shaheed was an Abidi and Faisal is an Abidi too,” he said.

Speaking of the murder of former MQM parliamentarian Ali Raza Abidi, Sattar said that he feared for the security of Faisal too “as like Ali Raza he doesn’t have that too”. He apprehended that any irritation in the city would cause the same in the country.

Faisal said he was thankful to Sattar and others for speaking out against his detention by the authorities though he learned in jail that no one could stop anyone from their fight to achieve rights, “no matter how high are the barrack’s walls.”

He said Ali Raza was targeted “because he spoke against terrorism”. He added that Karachi had given him much and he was up against all “tyrannical” rulers and for the well-being of the city.

After resigning from the Pakistan Peoples Party which he served as its Karachi president, Faisal had devoted himself to the resolution of socio-political and religious issues, predominantly those of Shias, and recently faced arrest in a contempt of court case.

Sattar lashes at MQM-P

Speaking of the notice served on him by his disgruntled Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan colleagues, Sattar said that they should not try to corner him, for he was not interested in making a new political party but was trying to save one.

He, however, criticised the moves made by Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar, who belongs to the MQM-P, during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the city and asked if they had any plan to rehabilitate those affected by the drive. “Leased space has been demolished and these acts will cause bad soci0-economic effects,” he said.