KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Farooq Sattar on Sunday demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Sindh Assembly speaker hold by-elections on those provincial assembly seats, which had fallen vacant after lawmakers of one party switched over to other parties.

He claimed that MQM-P would emerge victorious in these polls, as it still enjoyed the support of masses and had best candidates.

He was addressing a press conference in a ground adjacent to MQM-P temporary headquarters in Bahudurabad.

MQM-P leaders, including Kamran Tissori, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar and party legislators were also present on the occasion besides MQM former deputy convener Aftab Ahmed Sheikh and former secretary local government Javaid Hanif.

On the occasion, businessman Khurram Rasool, Member of KCCI Saman Ali Abbasi, senior economist Farooq Daddi, famous fashion designer Dipak Parwani, industrialist Alamghir Feroz, member of Memon community Taufeeq Kochan Wala, businessman Imtiaz Ali, private TV channel host Nadia Ali and others announced to join MQM-P.

Speaking to media men, Sattar said that those people who thought that the party had lost its mandate were living in fools’ paradise. “It is evident that people from all walks of life are joining the party,” he added.

He said the in recent past some of the MQM-P legislators had switched their loyalties after which we wrote to the ECP and Sindh Assembly speaker to hold by-elections on these provincial assembly seats, but so far nothing had been done in this regard.

“Those people who had announced their resignations after quitting MQM-P should not receive salaries,” he said categorically.

He claimed that MQM-P was true representative of the middle class and was struggling for the betterment of people. “This is the reason why people from various walks of life are joining the party. We will celebrate a historic victory in the by-polls as we have best candidates,” MQM convener boasted.

MQM-P leader further said that there was no political party in the country, which had sent the middle class youth to the assemblies. “MQM-P is the only exception in this regard,” he concluded.