MQM offices reopen after brief shutdown

Altaf Hussain instructed the party offices, including Rabita Committee and the information department, to be shut down

KARACHI:

Upset with his party leaders over apparent glitches in organisational matters, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain directed offices to be shut down on Wednesday withdrawing the decision a few hours later.

According to sources, most of the anger was directed at the Rabita Committee for not working effectively and not responding to the ongoing situation faced by the party. Altaf was also angry because of the change in the date of an event, which the party was supposed to hold.

He instructed the party offices, including Rabita Committee and the information department, to be shut down. His anger was also directed against members of the Rabita Committee who were not present in Nine Zero and did not listen to his address.

After the notice of shutting down, members of the Rabita Committee and other offices did not leave for their homes but gathered at Nine Zero. The offices began to open up at 6am following the orders of Altaf.

Party members denied the news regarding the presence of Rangers around Nine Zero on Thursday morning. There were no Rangers in the locality, said the party members.

Independent analysts suggest that Altaf was angry because the Rabita Committee had withdrawn the decision of cancelling an earlier statement by Altaf related to fissures in the Pakistan Army. The statement has been directly faxed to General Raheel Sharif.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2015.