MQM can no longer be remotely-controlled: Sattar

Claims party's vote bank will remain unbroken despite divisions

HYDERABAD: In a veiled allusion to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain and the MQM’s London-based faction, the MQM-Pakistan Convener Dr Farooq Sattar has said his party’s politics can no longer be remotely controlled by anyone sitting in exile.

“The MQM’s vote bank will remain unbroken despite the divisions [into MQM-London, MQM-Pakistan and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP)]. The Mohajir community will not allow a breach in its unity,” Sattar told media representatives at the Hyderabad Press Club on Saturday.

“The party’s mandate cannot be divided by issuing red warrants against Altaf Hussain and by taking actions against the MQM-Pakistan,” he added.



Sattar announced that his party will now hold its maiden public meeting in Hyderabad on Feb 17 instead of Jan 27. The PSP has already held a public meeting in Hyderabad in the MQM’s stronghold of Puqqa Qila on Dec 25. Sattar said the people will forget that meeting after the MQM-Pakistan’s event.



He blamed the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for ignoring other provinces of Pakistan and keeping its activities limited to Punjab. “This would strengthen the regional politics,” he added.

He also accused the Pakistan Peoples Party for failing to deliver despite playing its ‘Sindhi Card’.

“The party’s provincial government has ruined Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas. During more than eight years of its rule in Sindh the party has also exploited Sindhis,” he added.

He described the sales tax collection by Sindh as a ‘jackpot’ and ‘lottery’ for the Sindh government.

“From Rs70 billion sales tax collected in Sindh, Rs65 billion is collected from Karachi alone,” he said, demanding that at least Rs20 billion from that tax should be given to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation so that the city’s infrastructure could be built.

“If we are not heard, we will take to the three-pronged strategy of dialogue, judiciary and protest,” he said, adding that protests sit-ins were the most effective way.



He said the party has decided to go to the court to plead for implementation of Article 140-A for giving political, administrative and financial authority to local governments (LGs) and for giving the LGs a role in implementation of the National Action Plan.

“We will opt for the first two strategies before resorting to the last course of protests,” he said.

Sattar deplored that the functions of the LG have been given to the Sindh Building Control Authority, Solid Waste Management Authority, master plans and different authorities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2017.