PS-127: Hold by-election under army’s watch, demands Farooq Sattar

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar demanded that the by-election on the Malir-based PS-127 constituency should be held under the watch of army.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Sattar said that he hoped that his party will break all the records set previously in the polling format on September 8. He came hard on rivals as well as on the government. Interestingly, he continued to demand nods at intervals from his comrades and others. "Durust? Durust?" he kept on asking at intervals in a manner similar to MQM founder Altaf Hussain, who has now been side-lined by the party leadership in the country.

Sattar said that the party had made a record on NA-246 with Kanwar Naveed Jameel bagging 93,122 votes, securing a lead of more than 70,000 votes over his rival, Imran Ismail of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Now, they were all set to break their own record this time, he added.

The PS-127 constituency fell vacant after former MQM MPA, Ashfaq Mangi, who won the seat in general elections, resigned to join the Pak Sarzameen Party led by former mayor Mustafa Kamal. The MQM has now given ticket to its worker, Waseem Ahmed, to vie for the seat.

Criticising the crackdown against his party, he feared that there were chances of rigging in the by-polls in the constituency and said that the army should be called in in this situation to ensure a free and fair election.

Apparently keeping in view the ethnic demographics of the constituency, Sattar said that the Baloch, Sindhi, Pakhtun and other communities will repose their confidence in MQM-Pakistan on the polling day.

Hitting out at PSP and others, he said that the doors of MQM-Pakistan were open for the 'migratory birds' and the returning season had begun in the lower tier. He also criticised the government, saying that if they wanted to make another MQM, they should go after their 'dream'.

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