Daily Times

KARACHI: Divergences between the two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) became more apparent after senior leader Farooq Sattar informed the media on Saturday that he was not invited to an Iftar dinner organized by the Bahadurabad Group on Friday.

Farooq Sattar informed the media on Saturday that he had not been invited to Bahadurabad Group’s Iftar dinner. He said that he had visited Bahadurabad five times, but the other side was not showing any serious interest in resolution of disputed issues.

He alleged that Siddiqui lied about the invitation. He added that there were many seniors who had advised Amir Khan to invite Farooq Sattar on the Iftar dinner but he still did not invite him.

Farooq added that if his conditions were accepted he would be ready to go back.

Siddiqui, during the Iftar dinner, had given the impression that Farooq Sattar was invited at the Iftar dinner when he told the media that everyone was waiting for him.

Earlier while speaking to the media outside the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday, senior leader Amir Khan blamed Farooq Sattar for MQM’s split into PIB and Bahadurabad factions.

“We gave him a chance to come back but he still wishes to run the party as a one man show,” Khan said

Khan said that there had been a consensus in the party that all decisions would be made collectively but Farooq Sattar wanted full control over the party. He added that Sattar had political motives and he wanted to singlehandedly control the party, which was impossible.

The ATC hearing, which was to take place on Sunday could not commence because of failure of the accused to reach court on time. However, Some notable MQM leaders including Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, Siddiqui, Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Qamar Mansoor, Shahid Pasha, Rehan Hashmi and others appeared before the court.

The court directed the accused to be present on time at the next hearing and announced that the ATC will frame charges against founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in cases related to the August 22 violence and hate speech on July 7.

The accused leaders of MQM were to appear in the ATC hearing lodged against the founder of MQM Altaf Hussain after he had made a telephonic speech addressing MQM workers, staging a hunger strike in front of the Press Club on August 22, 2016.

During his speech, the MQM leader had made anti-state remarks and asked the party workers to attack the media over what he said was “less coverage”.

Difference in the party commenced when Dr Farooq Sattar raised his voice over the alleged issue of Amir Khan’s intervention in the party matters on February 5. Following February 5, the party split up into PIB and the Bahadurabad group.

After the split, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was announced as the convener of MQM-P but Amir Khan remained more visible on party events.

Earlier in a program, Sattar said that while an impression portraying divisions within the MQM had become popular in the recent months, the party enjoyed a solid vote bank, which will prove loyal in the upcoming elections.

Previously, in a video statement, MQM founder Altaf Hussain announced that his party would boycott the 2018 general elections, accusing the ‘establishment’ of manipulating the polls.

MQM-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar had also warned earlier that his party may boycott the election.

Published in Daily Times, June 4^th 2018.