KARACHI - Differences between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) successors remain irreversible, both factions seeking to throw each other out of the party.
MQM-P leadership that took over the party on August 23, failed to maintain the party discipline driving the party to further divisions. MQM-P coordination committee handed over the party command to Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui with the consensus of the majority of the coordination committee m embers while Dr Farooq Sattar declined to concede his powers.
On Friday, the controversy started three-days ago among the ranks of MQM-P widen more as the party coordination committee wrote letter to Election Commission of Pakistan with an attempt to wrest signing authority from MQM-P convener Dr Farooq Sattar.
MQM-P coordination committee adopted the stance in the letter that decision making body enjoys majority whereas party convener Dr Farooq Sattar has no power to nominate the names for the upcoming Senate Election scheduled to be hold on March 3.
Responding to MQM-P coordination committee plea, ECP stated that party Chief Dr Farooq Sattar has the right to nominate candidates for Senate election. ECP officials said that the letter of the MQM-P coordination committee to take back the power from party convener to nominate Senate candidates does not hold any legal value. MQM-Pakistan is registered with the name of Dr Farooq Sattar and commission will only accept the senate tickets which carries the signature of Dr Farooq Sattar.
Furthermore, two emerged groups within MQM-P ranks failed to resolve their difference and statement against each other in the media further widen the distance between PIB Colony – Resident of Farooq Sattar and Bahadurabad – Temporary Headquarter of MQM-P.
MQM-P spokesperson told The Nation that party coordination committee including Amir Khan, Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Ameenul Haq and others reached Sattar residence PIB Colony to meet him on late Thursday night. However Bahadurabad delegates were left unattended and after waiting of more than 70 minutes returned back.
Later, during the day MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari during a press conference said that coordination committee cannot accept the decision of MQM-P convener Dr Farooq Sattar and it is hard to understand why Sattar want to enforce his decision by awarding ticket to Karman Tessori, who is just a newly induction in the party.
I cannot comprehend how Karmran Tesori has this much importance, said Sabzwari adding that the question is still unanswered as who exactly is advising Dr Farooq Sattar. He further said that coordination committee hope that crisis would be end soon and matter would be resolved at the earliest. If Sattar‘s decision was against the party policy than coordination committee would be unable to accept those decisions.
Sabzwari revealed that Sattar has told the committee members that if Tessori will not contest then party will not contest Senate elections.
On the other hand, MQM-P convener Farooq Sattar stick to his decision has warned to dissolve current party coordination committee with a claim that more than ten members of the decision making body were government employees and hence were not eligible to stay on the slots.
As per the recap of the rifts that given a visible impression of MQM‘s fallen was emerged during a meeting held to finalize the names of candidates for Senate Election. MQM-P Sattar insisted on keeping Karman Tessori name which indulged the coordination committee into a debate. The committee expressed extreme dissatisfaction with Tessori‘s nomination while Sattar over the reaction left the meeting without concluding and adopted the stance that coordination committee violated the party code and conduct during the meeting.
MQM that was a powerhouse in the urban region of the Sindh province has been facing divisions as in early 90s at the time of army led operation in Karachi in other parts it split in two groups MQM and MQM-Haqqiqi.
Later in year 2016, former MQM leader and former Mayor Karachi Mustafa Kamal after staying abroad returned back and announced Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP). MQM received another dent after the anti-state speech of the MQM founder Altaf Hussain and was entered in part of MQM-Pakistan and MQM-London. Now in the recent off shot the party has been further divided into PIB Colony and Bahadurabad Fraction.
Political analysts termed the entire occurrence as a fallen and conclusion of MQM in the playing field of politics. They said that the recent division has created a political vacuum while had panicked the political workers and supporters those once remained loyal to MQM during last 30 years.
They further said MQM fallen would create a worst political scenario in near future as more groups would emerged on the locality basis in the urban region and might lead towards the formation of fractions run by local lords. Moreover, MQM fallen would also cosmetically benefit newly established party PSP led by Mustafa Kamal as many of MQM-P members confused from the recent developments would settled themselves in PSP ranks.