MQM-P expels MNA Ali Raza Abidi

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on Sunday expelled its parliamentarian Ali Raza Abidi for maintaining ties with the faction led by Altaf Hussain in London and despite being reprimanded ‘a number of times’.

Abidi is one of the MQM leaders who have been proactive on social media. He was elected as an MNA from NA-251 in Karachi during the 2013 general elections.

According to a statement issued by the MQM-Pakistan, the decision was taken in a meeting of the party’s Coordination Committee as he has been found continuously violating the policy for the past three months. The party also asked Abidi to resign from his National Assembly seat.

The policy in question pertains to Dr Farooq Sattar and the group’s stance over divorcing the party founder Altaf Hussain and other leadership sitting in London for the incendiary and seditious remarks made on August 22 against the country.

This is the first time since the split that a sitting parliamentarian has been disowned by the party. Earlier, some Coordination Committee members and workers were expelled from the party on similar grounds. They later emerged as the London group’s ground team in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2016.