MQM calls off negotiations with government, says resignations final
Farooq Sattar cites government's 'non-serious attitude' as reason for cancellation of talks
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) announced early on Thursday its decision to withdraw from negotiations with the government once again, Express News reported.
“We are calling off talks with the government because of their non-serious attitude regarding the matter,” MQM leader Farooq Sattar said, while addressing an emergency press conference.
“The government should accept our resignations immediately,” he added.
Read: Final round today: MQM, govt teams inch towards consensus
On August 12, the MQM resigned from parliament and the Sindh Assembly, citing what it called victimisation in the ongoing targeted operation. Presenting 19 reasons for the resignations, the party demanded formation of a monitoring committee, release of innocent workers and investigation by a judicial commission into extrajudicial killings of its activists.
On Wednesday, after a hiatus of several days, the MQM and the government’s negotiation teams resumed their talks. The two sides almost agreed on the draft of the agreement and were supposed to hold their final round of talks today.
Read: Resignation crisis: MQM agrees to hold next round of talks in Islamabad
On August 18, despite a targeted attack on its MNA Rashid Godil, the MQM agreed to take forward the talks initiated on behalf of the parliamentary parties led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) to convince the party to take back its lawmakers’ resignations.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) announced early on Thursday its decision to withdraw from negotiations with the government once again, Express News reported.
“We are calling off talks with the government because of their non-serious attitude regarding the matter,” MQM leader Farooq Sattar said, while addressing an emergency press conference.
“The government should accept our resignations immediately,” he added.
Read: Final round today: MQM, govt teams inch towards consensus
On August 12, the MQM resigned from parliament and the Sindh Assembly, citing what it called victimisation in the ongoing targeted operation. Presenting 19 reasons for the resignations, the party demanded formation of a monitoring committee, release of innocent workers and investigation by a judicial commission into extrajudicial killings of its activists.
On Wednesday, after a hiatus of several days, the MQM and the government’s negotiation teams resumed their talks. The two sides almost agreed on the draft of the agreement and were supposed to hold their final round of talks today.
Read: Resignation crisis: MQM agrees to hold next round of talks in Islamabad
On August 18, despite a targeted attack on its MNA Rashid Godil, the MQM agreed to take forward the talks initiated on behalf of the parliamentary parties led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) to convince the party to take back its lawmakers’ resignations.