Daily Times

LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain in a statement on Wednesday said he had handed over party affairs to the Coordination Committee, a day after senior party leaders sidelined their London-based supremo. A statement shared on Twitter by MQM spokesman Wasay Jalil says, ‘Keeping in view statements made by MQM leader Farooq Sattar and other MQM members, I hand over powers of reorganisation, policy making and decision making to the Rabita Committee.’

The party chief also apologised for hurting the sentiments of Pakistanis due to his earlier anti-Pakistan remarks. Meanwhile, during a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, Farooq Sattar announced: “From now onwards, decisions will be made in Pakistan. This message is for the London office as well as for Pakistan office-bearers, something which the Quaid won’t disagree with.” Sattar, after being released from Rangers custody, spoke to party leaders and lawmakers and communicated his decision to disown Hussain’s statement and take over the MQM. Altaf Hussain has been running the day-to-day organisational affairs of the party over the telephone from London for a long time, even though he holds no official post within the party, which is registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan in the name of Dr Farooq Sattar.