Daily Times

KARACHI: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar on Thursday announced that the party had made the “required” amendments to its constitution to formally dissociate itself from Altaf Hussain, and had removed his name as the party’s supreme leader and the decision-making authority in party affairs.

The MQM also introduced the new party flag that absent its founder’s name on it. The new flag has the party’s symbol ‘kite’, replacing former party chief Altaf Hussain’s name on it.

While addressing a press conference in the metropolis, Dr Farooq Sattar said the amendments had been made in accordance with the assurances given in earlier announcements, and added that the “MQM will not let anyone use the party platform to chant anti-Pakistan slogans”.

“Since we had to prove we are running the party affairs from Pakistan, and not from elsewhere, we have substituted Article 7(b) in our constitution,” said Sattar.

“It was necessary that our party members and advisory board approved and endorsed our decisions of August 23, which they did, following which the amendments to the party’s constitutions were made.”

Referring to the party’s earlier demands in reference to its missing workers, he said that missing persons should be returned to their families and this demand was as important as “us changing our party’s constitution”.

He also demanded that the party’s female workers arrested following the August 22 incident should be set free.

The MQM leader also requested the authorities to unseal Khursheed Memorial Hall and the party’s headquarters, Nine Zero. “It is against the country’s constitution to seal the offices of any political party,” he maintained.

Dr Farooq Sattar announced the names of four leaders who had been included in the central coordination committee. In addition to Khawaja Izharul Hassan, these leaders are Syed Sardar Ahmad, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sohail Mansoor and Rauf Saddiqui.

Meanwhile, the shopkeepers who stock the new flags claimed that the MQM flags were now being sold without the party founder’s name. They added that thousands of new flags had been ordered, which would be completed by the end of this month.

It may be mentioned here that the MQM Pakistan is registered with the ECP in the name of Dr Farooq Sattar. Legal experts of the MQM had earlier completed consultations in connection with an amendment to the party’s constitution, which was handed over to the MQM chief in Pakistan Dr Farooq Sattar.