Premier’s ‘lack of concern’ irks MQM
Despite PM’s cold shoulder party to reach capital for talks
PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI:
Members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were irked and disappointed as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s brief visit to Karachi ended without any assurances to the party regarding their grievances.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left without answering our questions,” said party leader Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat on Thursday.
The MQM is irked as the premier left without discussing their demands which include formation of the monitoring committee, release of their missing workers or investigating the extrajudicial killings of its activists. But despite the premier’s cold shoulder, MQM would still go ahead with its plan of meeting government officials in Islamabad.
Read: MQM resignations — are they reversible?
Sattar while talking to The Express Tribune said that the party would go to Islamabad to hold talks regarding their demands. “We have been assured by Maulana Fazlur Rehman that the government has good intentions. So we will go to Islamabad and fulfill our commitment with Maulana.”
He reiterated that their workers were being arrested illegally, and their families were not being informed about their whereabouts.
“On what grounds are the workers being arrested? Where are they being kept and why are their families not given any information about them?”
He said that the party is not upset that the premier left without meeting them, but was disappointed that their issues were not paid heed to. “Our complaint is that the constitution and the law are being violated, injustice is rampant yet no action is being taken.”
Speaking about continuous raids and arrests, Sattar pointed out that more than a dozen workers were arrested from Shah Faisal, Landhi, Korangi late on Wednesday night.
Read: Nawaz remains cool to MQM demand for watchdog
“We want transparency in the operation. Towards whom did the premier hint that the operation would not be stopped? The MQM has never demanded that the operation be ended. In fact, we were the first ones who called for initiating an operation.”
The MQM also lamented against the unofficial ban on Altaf Hussain’s speeches on television, and said that they would be going to court against it, and would be protesting against the ban and PEMRA at the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2015.
Members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were irked and disappointed as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s brief visit to Karachi ended without any assurances to the party regarding their grievances.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left without answering our questions,” said party leader Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat on Thursday.
The MQM is irked as the premier left without discussing their demands which include formation of the monitoring committee, release of their missing workers or investigating the extrajudicial killings of its activists. But despite the premier’s cold shoulder, MQM would still go ahead with its plan of meeting government officials in Islamabad.
Read: MQM resignations — are they reversible?
Sattar while talking to The Express Tribune said that the party would go to Islamabad to hold talks regarding their demands. “We have been assured by Maulana Fazlur Rehman that the government has good intentions. So we will go to Islamabad and fulfill our commitment with Maulana.”
He reiterated that their workers were being arrested illegally, and their families were not being informed about their whereabouts.
“On what grounds are the workers being arrested? Where are they being kept and why are their families not given any information about them?”
He said that the party is not upset that the premier left without meeting them, but was disappointed that their issues were not paid heed to. “Our complaint is that the constitution and the law are being violated, injustice is rampant yet no action is being taken.”
Speaking about continuous raids and arrests, Sattar pointed out that more than a dozen workers were arrested from Shah Faisal, Landhi, Korangi late on Wednesday night.
Read: Nawaz remains cool to MQM demand for watchdog
“We want transparency in the operation. Towards whom did the premier hint that the operation would not be stopped? The MQM has never demanded that the operation be ended. In fact, we were the first ones who called for initiating an operation.”
The MQM also lamented against the unofficial ban on Altaf Hussain’s speeches on television, and said that they would be going to court against it, and would be protesting against the ban and PEMRA at the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2015.