Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Wednesday surprisingly remained silent over the anti-Pakistan speech of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain and the political future of the party, sources told Daily Times.

“Altaf Hussain’s speech and the MQM’s future were not on the agenda of the federal cabinet, so no one spoke on this issue. Even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not say a single word on this subject,” one of the ministers told this scribe on the condition of anonymity.

The federal cabinet was expected to pass a resolution against Altaf Hussain, while political pundits believed that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would brief the gathering on post-August 22 action of the federal government against the party and its chief.

However, the agenda mostly revolved around the economy and revenue issues, so no one mentioned the MQM, sources said. Sources also said that the interior minister was ready to brief the cabinet on the said issue, but when no one spoke on this, he also preferred saving his energy.

However, sources said that the cabinet members informally discussed the MQM’s future and the role of MQM Pakistan under Dr Farooq Sattar, who is also a parliamentary leader of the MQM.

Now, the MQM Pakistan is going to table a resolution against Altaf Hussain, and they seek other opposition parties’ support in this regard, said the sources.

Sources said that the MQM Pakistan had also submitted an application to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for issuing a “production order” for jailed MQM lawmaker Kanwar Naveed Jamil, adding that the request is most likely to be entertained.