MQM not looking for a confrontation: Altaf

Says decision on resignations will be taken after meeting the JUI-F chief

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said on Sunday that his party doesn’t want any confrontation with anyone and resignations have proven that his party’s parliamentarians, Rabita Committee and the entire party are on the same page.

“If discrimination continues against people in Karachi, then they would be forced to pay heed to the demand of the masses. People from every ethnic background…want Karachi to be a separate province,” he made the remarks while giving an interview to a news channel.

The MQM founder said that since his party had not retaliated and made no attempt to resist the law enforcement agencies when they raided the party headquarters --- it showed that MQM is not a terrorist outfit.

Read: Quitting the assemblies: MQM ready to return if major demands met

Regarding the recent resignations from the National Assembly, Senate and Sindh Assembly, he said that his party after a meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would decide whether they want to take back their resignations or not.

“If the government wants to shut down MQM’s charitable organisation (KKF), it may do so but then it would have to get rid of all welfare organisations that other political and religious parties have,” Altaf insisted.

Regarding the targeted operation in Karachi, he said that when the Sindh government failed to provide them any relief regarding the arrests of their workers, they had no option but to quit the assemblies.

Read: MQM goes to court against delimitation

The MQM chief called army chief Gen Raheel Sharif a professional and honest soldier.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2015.