ISLAMABAD - MQM-Pakistan lawmakers are deliberating on tendering resignations from parliament on the ‘indirect’ demand of Altaf Hussain to quit their seats and seek the fresh mandate from people of Pakistan.
These lawmakers, mainly from Karachi and Hyderabad, under the leadership of Farooq Sattar, have recently been conveyed through Nadeem Nusrat (from London Coordination Committee) to tender resignations.
“All the legislators of MQM from Pakistan will tender resignations as they had been elected only on the name of Altaf Bhai,” said senior MQM member Wasay Jalil, exclusively talking to The Nation from MQM’s London office.
Altaf Hussian has also ratified the decision of MQM’s London office for demanding the lawmakers of the party leave their parliamentary seats, he said.
Jalil, even after the controversial speech of Altaf Hussian, had kept sharing tweets expressing loyalty to his party chief.
“Altaf Hussain is MQM and MQM is Altaf Hussain,” he remarked, a couple of weeks before when Farooq Sattar with the support of other members announced disassociation with Altaf on his controversial remarks.
The recently passed parliamentary resolutions against Altaf Hussian were also not welcomed from the members of MQM London.
These back-to-back developments have restarted the debate in and out of the parliament that whether all MQM members, including those from London, are divided or not, and if the decision of Altaf Hussian would be final.
Jalil said there was no question of division; MQM is one under Altaf Hussain. He added that Altaf Hussian has veto-power in all the party matters.
“All the lawmakers of MQM have vote-bank due to Altaf Bhai, so they should respect the recent demand from MQM’s London office,” he added.
During attempts to take version of MQM Pakistan lawmakers, the impression emerged that they preferred to remain tight-lipped. However, one MNA of the party, desiring not to be named, said that party’s lawmakers in federal and Sindh parliament were seriously considering the demand floated from London office.
“Legislators will have to follow what London says as the votes we got were primarily because of Altaf Hussain. So ethically, all should resign,” he said, expressing respect to the demand from London.
Political pundits said MQM’s en-mass resignations will prove another bombshell for the beleaguered government which is already facing immense pressure from PTI’s anti-government campaign.
“It will not be easy for the government to face pressure for conducting by-elections in the country at this juncture,” they said.
The National Assembly has a total strength of 342 seats, which means that around seven per cent of the total NA seats might get affected by the MQM decision. Likewise, the Sindh Assembly has a total of 130 seats, which means 39 percent of the total Sindh Assembly seats would fall vacant.
Earlier, in August 12, 2015, MQM members had submitted en-mass resignations from National Assembly, Senate and Sindh Assembly. But the party took back resignations following the government’s nod to form ‘Grievance Redressal Committee’ to address their issues.
Some MQM’s members, after the controversial speech of Altaf Hussian, have already tendered resignations. Some of them had joined Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP) led by Mustafa Kamal. MNA Asif Hasnain and MPA Irum Azeem had recently parted ways from the party.
Agencies add: MQM MNA Sufyan Yousuf also decides to resign from National Assembly yesterday, after the demand was made from London office. Becoming the first one to respond to the call, he sent his resignation to the London office on Thursday. Sufyan was elected from NA-247 (Karachi-IX), an MQM stronghold.
Giving a call for resignations, Nadeem Nusrat of London Coordination Committee Nadeem Nusrat said, “It is morally incumbent upon MQM members to resign from their seats and re-contest elections in personal capacity.”
He contended, “If they want to disengage themselves from the founder then they should resign from their positions because the mandate they are having is of MQM’s founder.”
Nusrat also censured Sindh Assembly resolution against Altaf Hussain and initiation of proceedings under Article-6 of the Constitution.
However, late night Farooq Sattar rejected the demand of Nadeeem Nusrat and said that “we have disengaged ourselves from MQM London and party members are working with same passion”.
Led by Dr Farooq Sattar, MQM Pakistan severed ties from the party’s International Secretariat in London earlier in a landmark press conference a day after when Muttahida founder Altaf Hussain raised anti-Pakistan slogans and incited workers on violence against media houses on August 22.
Meanwhile, MQM members of Sindh Assembly have been called in an emergency meeting to be chaired today by Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan. Izhar directed all party MPAs to ensure their presence in the meeting, vowing that all rumors about the matter will die down as a result of this get-together.