MQM resolves to participate in elections ‘despite being targeted’

Dr Farooq Sattar says MQM is being cornered through a planned conspiracy.

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) declared they will not boycott the upcoming polls “despite being constantly targeted by criminal elements,” said the party's Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar on Friday.

“The killing of MQM leaders, workers and supporters at the hands of armed terrorists has become an everyday occurrence. No day goes by when we do not attend a funeral of a party worker of supporter,” Sattar said.

The party leader added that all political and religious parties of the country are busy with their election campaigns while the MQM is busy lifting bodies of its workers and supporters.

He said that this was an organised conspiracy against the MQM to stop the party from fully participating in the elections by “cornering it and snatching away some seats from the party”.

Sattar said that the MQM election candidates, workers and supporters were being killed so that the party can be forced to boycott the elections.

“This can be noted from the press conference of Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) ameer Munawar Hasan who said that the JI will not boycott elections, but other parties will boycott them,” he added.

According to Sattar, the first chapter of this conspiracy was the “unconstitutional and unlawful” delimitation of Karachi and the second chapter was carrying raids and door-to-door operations in 20 areas of the city harassing people and pushing them away from the election campaigns.

The MQM leader said that they will announce their consolidated list of electoral candidates and formally kick off their election campaign from Saturday, April 20, 2013.