KARACHI - Farooq Sattar, chief of PIB faction of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), announced on Friday that he was ready to consider the candidates recommended by his party’s Bahadurabad faction for the Senate elections to end the infighting in the party. Addressing a press conference at his PIB residence, Sattar said he had taken this decision as convener of the party after days-long consultations. He said he was ready to accommodate four names for Senate seats recommended by members of the now defunct coordination committee of the party. “The remaining candidates will announce their withdrawal from the process,” he said, adding the decision was aimed at saving the party from disintegration.
“I said earlier that Kamran Tessori or Senate nominations were not the issue and I am ready to announce their names as Senate candidates,” he said. “Now no one can claim that I am showing stubbornness in order to favour someone within the party,” he said. He said that he had the support of activists of the party and majority of the MQM department members and lawmakers were with him. He said that this was an internal issue, but unfortunately they (the Bahadurabad group) took it to the media and now it was up to MQM activists and masses to understand the situation, he said.
“The issue was resolved after mediation on February 7, 10 and 11 and I cancelled the general workers’ meeting to resolve the issue but hurdles were created from that side,” he said.
He said that dissolved coordination committee members had approached the Election Commission of Pakistan to get a stay on intra-party elections scheduled for Sunday, but the commission refused to do so.
“Elections will be held on February 18 and a new coordination committee will be elected,” he said, adding that activists should not heed to any propaganda and stay united. He also said there was no importance of the constitution or office bearers for a political party instead it was the workers that were important and majority of the activists was with him.
