MQM suspends Rauf Siddiqi’s membership

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has suspended the membership of its long- time member and senior leader Rauf Siddiqui.

The suspension, according to a statement, was decided in a joint meeting of Karachi and London Rabita Committees – top bodies in the party’s hierarchal system that manage all its internal and external affairs.

“Haq Parast member of provincial assembly Rauf Siddiqui, who has become paralysed mentally and ideologically, has been suspended from his party’s membership,” said the statement. The brief but strongly-worded statement gave no further explanation for the suspension.

The Rabita Committees, however, allow him to continue working as an MPA but forbid him from attend[ing] any party meeting or function. “He will not be invited to any of the party meeting, gatherings or fikiri [thinking] and tarbiyeti [training] sessions.”

The thinking and training sessions are regarded as basic and mandatory sittings, in which common workers as well as leaders have to take part.

According to the statement, party leaders responsible for parliamentary affairs can correspond with Siddiqi for official matters but others have been advised to refrain from contacting him.

Siddiqi, hailing from Nawabshah, has been affiliated with the MQM since 1988. At present, he is facing as many as 16 cases lodged for arranging a recent speech of the MQM chief in which he criticised the military establishment.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2015.