LONDON: London-based Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Nadeem Nusrat has said that the party is nothing without its founder, who he added gave recognition to the Mohajir (Urdu speaking) community.
In a statement issued from London on Tuesday, Nusrat said ‘the MQM founder is MQM himself.’
The statement came after MQM leadership in Pakistan led by Dr Farooq Sattar disowned its chief last month. Sattar had taken over the leadership of MQM Pakistan on August 23 and said in a press conference that the party will run its affairs from within Pakistan.
Self-exiled Wasay Jalil, another member of London-based chapter of the Mutahhida Qaumi Movement’s central coordination committee had earlier said that the “minus one formula” would not be acceptable to the party.
Jalil, a bigwig in MQM’s hierarchy, had tweeted from London that MQM could not be run without Altaf Hussain and that it would not countenance any resolution against him in National Assembly.
“We will not accept the ‘minus one formula’ on Altaf Hussain. Altaf Hussain is MQM and MQM is Altaf Hussain. We will not accept any resolution in NA,” the tweet read.
Besides tabling a resolution against Hussain in NA, the MQM Pakistan also decided to remove MQM’s founder name from the party flag. Dr Farooq Sattar said the “kite” would continue to stay on the party flag since it is the electoral symbol of MQM as per the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Sattar had also ordered the party activists to remove MQM flags with its founder’s name from the main roads of Karachi.