MQM chief takes back decision to part ways with party
Altaf had said he will resign as party chief if it helps stop extrajudicial killings of MQM workers
PHOTO: MQM
KARACHI:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain took back his decision to step down as party head late Friday on the request of his party workers, Express News reported.
Altaf had said he will resign if it helps stop the extrajudicial killing of party workers.
“…if they keep on killing MQM workers, then tomorrow after addressing the foundation ceremony of Altaf Hussain University in Hyderabad, I will part ways with the party,” the party supremo had said while addressing party workers at MQM Headquarters Nine Zero in Karachi.
His speech came after the party observed a day of mourning on Thursday for the extrajudicial murder of their worker Sohail Ahmed. On Thursday, Altaf had given out mixed signals about resigning as chief of the party.
Altaf claimed that they had received some signals that the party would be acceptable (to certain quarters in the establishment) without him.
“Army and ISI has played a role in ensuring that the 10-year quota system enforced during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto rule is present even today,” he said, adding that certain quarters within ISI, Rangers and the PPP had formed a troika to persecute MQM workers.
Altaf asked his workers to permit him to quit because he wants peace and does not want to see more bloodshed.
He urged patriotic officers in army and Rangers to purge the prejudiced elements from within their ranks.
Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party and its chief Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf claimed that whenever the former president faced any challenge, it was the MQM which stood with him while all the PPP leaders hid.
He complained that despite its support, the PPP never reciprocated MQM’s gestures. Altaf accused the PPP co-chairman of creating the Peoples Amn Committtee through then provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, alleging that the group gathered extortionists and criminals.
“He [Mirza] used to call them his children,” Altaf lamented.
Regarding the ongoing Karachi operation, Altaf said his party supported it, but when he saw that MQMQ workers were being killed extra-judicially, he brought it into the notice of prime minister and interior minister.
In this regard, the federal government promised them a monitoring committee to oversee the operation in Karachi, but this committee was never formed.
Later on MQM chief took back his decision to part ways with the party.
Altaf warned that if any MQM worker is extrajudicially killed now, the party will observe a wheel-jam strike the next day. If matters go beyond wheel-jam, then they will jam Sindh government’s seat, he added
Earlier, MQM leaders started gathering at party headquarters (Nine Zero) as party chief Altaf Hussain announced his desire to step down from party leadership.
“Altaf Hussain feels helpless and upset over the killing of his workers and has expressed his desire to step down from party leadership,” an MQM leader told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
“The chief has asked us to select a new leader,” he added.
MQM parliamentarians have told Altaf they will resign from the provincial assemblies and National Assembly if he steps down.
Further, the MQM chief has announced his address at the inauguration of Altaf Hussain University in Hyderabad tomorrow will be his last after which he will give up his leadership post.
The party called for a ‘peaceful shutter-down strike’ today to protest against the judicial killings of their workers after the body of the in-charge of Society sector unit 64 was found.
RELATED POST: Sindh shuts down as Altaf holds CM responsible for deaths of MQM workers
Karachi police killed party worker, claims MQM leader
Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Haider Abbas Rizvi alleged that the MQM worker whose body was recovered yesterday was killed by the Karachi police and went on to demand justice for the ‘extra-judicial’ killings of 36 party workers.
"Karachi police murdered Sohail Ahmed after kidnapping him," Rizvi said, while addressing the media in Karachi after Ahmed's funeral prayers.
Ahmed was the in-charge of Society sector unit 64. His body was found in Mawach Goth on January 28.
“Sohail Ahmed was innocent; he was neither a terrorist nor a criminal,” Rizvi asserted.
The MQM leader questioned who would investigate the cases of extra-judicial killings of their workers since, he added, the Sindh government was 'biased' against them.
"It has become a trend to kill MQM workers," he said, adding that "MQM workers are not convicts."
Earlier, condemning the killings, MQM chief Altaf Hussain said he holds Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah responsible for the murders and that his party was targeted in the name of security operations.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain took back his decision to step down as party head late Friday on the request of his party workers, Express News reported.
Altaf had said he will resign if it helps stop the extrajudicial killing of party workers.
“…if they keep on killing MQM workers, then tomorrow after addressing the foundation ceremony of Altaf Hussain University in Hyderabad, I will part ways with the party,” the party supremo had said while addressing party workers at MQM Headquarters Nine Zero in Karachi.
His speech came after the party observed a day of mourning on Thursday for the extrajudicial murder of their worker Sohail Ahmed. On Thursday, Altaf had given out mixed signals about resigning as chief of the party.
Altaf claimed that they had received some signals that the party would be acceptable (to certain quarters in the establishment) without him.
“Army and ISI has played a role in ensuring that the 10-year quota system enforced during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto rule is present even today,” he said, adding that certain quarters within ISI, Rangers and the PPP had formed a troika to persecute MQM workers.
Altaf asked his workers to permit him to quit because he wants peace and does not want to see more bloodshed.
He urged patriotic officers in army and Rangers to purge the prejudiced elements from within their ranks.
Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party and its chief Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf claimed that whenever the former president faced any challenge, it was the MQM which stood with him while all the PPP leaders hid.
He complained that despite its support, the PPP never reciprocated MQM’s gestures. Altaf accused the PPP co-chairman of creating the Peoples Amn Committtee through then provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, alleging that the group gathered extortionists and criminals.
“He [Mirza] used to call them his children,” Altaf lamented.
Regarding the ongoing Karachi operation, Altaf said his party supported it, but when he saw that MQMQ workers were being killed extra-judicially, he brought it into the notice of prime minister and interior minister.
In this regard, the federal government promised them a monitoring committee to oversee the operation in Karachi, but this committee was never formed.
Later on MQM chief took back his decision to part ways with the party.
Altaf warned that if any MQM worker is extrajudicially killed now, the party will observe a wheel-jam strike the next day. If matters go beyond wheel-jam, then they will jam Sindh government’s seat, he added
Earlier, MQM leaders started gathering at party headquarters (Nine Zero) as party chief Altaf Hussain announced his desire to step down from party leadership.
“Altaf Hussain feels helpless and upset over the killing of his workers and has expressed his desire to step down from party leadership,” an MQM leader told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
“The chief has asked us to select a new leader,” he added.
MQM parliamentarians have told Altaf they will resign from the provincial assemblies and National Assembly if he steps down.
Further, the MQM chief has announced his address at the inauguration of Altaf Hussain University in Hyderabad tomorrow will be his last after which he will give up his leadership post.
The party called for a ‘peaceful shutter-down strike’ today to protest against the judicial killings of their workers after the body of the in-charge of Society sector unit 64 was found.
RELATED POST: Sindh shuts down as Altaf holds CM responsible for deaths of MQM workers
Karachi police killed party worker, claims MQM leader
Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Haider Abbas Rizvi alleged that the MQM worker whose body was recovered yesterday was killed by the Karachi police and went on to demand justice for the ‘extra-judicial’ killings of 36 party workers.
"Karachi police murdered Sohail Ahmed after kidnapping him," Rizvi said, while addressing the media in Karachi after Ahmed's funeral prayers.
Ahmed was the in-charge of Society sector unit 64. His body was found in Mawach Goth on January 28.
“Sohail Ahmed was innocent; he was neither a terrorist nor a criminal,” Rizvi asserted.
The MQM leader questioned who would investigate the cases of extra-judicial killings of their workers since, he added, the Sindh government was 'biased' against them.
"It has become a trend to kill MQM workers," he said, adding that "MQM workers are not convicts."
Earlier, condemning the killings, MQM chief Altaf Hussain said he holds Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah responsible for the murders and that his party was targeted in the name of security operations.