Daily Times

“Farooq Sattar will never leave Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P), said MQM-P senior leader, Syed Aminul Haque, on Thursday.

While talking to Daily Times Amin said that the party consulted Farooq Sattar in every decision. “Farooq Sattar is our asset,” said Haque. He added that the veteran MQM-P leader was always in contact with the party.

Haque further asserted that Farooq Sattar would not leave MQM since ‘neither Sattar would live without MQM, nor us without him’. MQM-P parliamentarian Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also confirmed that Sattar would never leave MQM-P. “Sattar has cleared out that he will not leave the party. He is in direct contact with us and we consult him frequently,” he added.

On Wednesday, Sattar said that the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had offered him to join the party and contest the by-election on NA-247 on PTI’s ticket. “PTI offered me to join party to contest by-election from NA-247,” said Sattar. He added, “I am consulting my close friends over the offer.”

While talking about leaving MQM-P, Sattar said he had reservations as he was not invited when the MQM-P delegation met with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, or when presidential candidate Maulana Fazalur Rehman visited the party office.

Sources close to Farooq told Daily Times that he had been associated with one party and one manifesto for the past 35 years now and he was one of the most senior members of MQM-P. “How can he leave MQM-P,” they questioned.

Commenting on the issue, a senior leader of MQM-P said that Farooq Sattar was the only one who never left MQM in any circumstances. “There is no way Sattar will leave MQM-P, he saved MQM after August 23,” he remarked.

Another MQM-P leader, under the condition of anonymity told Daily Times that Farooq spent his whole life for his community so he will not leave MQM-P.

Following Farooq’s claims, PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh said that PTI had not offered Sattar a seat. “PTI would give ticket to an old and devoted party worker,” he maintained. He added that a new member of the party will not be given a ticket.

Another PTI leader, Faisal Vawda contradicted Farooq’s version. “We are not the party of a single village or citizen, and we are the country’s biggest party,” said Vawda. “How can we do this and what will we tell our supporters?” he questioned.

Published in Daily Times, September 7^th 2018.