Informed sources said that these MQM leaders in their internal party discussion had told Farooq Sattar that after Altaf Hussain’s anti-Pakistan utterances, there is no possibility for them to continue with the MQM as Altaf Hussain their leader.
During these discussions, extremely harsh words were used against Altaf Hussain.
The information regarding en bloc resignation threat has not only been confirmed by a MQM source but has also been fed by some intelligence agencies to the government.
However, there is no concrete evidence available to conclude if at any level there is still any understanding between MQM Pakistan and MQM London or to say that the announced “disconnect” is permanent and Altaf Hussain has been really thrown out of the party he founded.
Regarding Farooq Sattar actions and if he could be trusted, an MQM senior leader who was among those ready for en bloc resignation said that Sattar does not appear to be faking.
“He sounds genuine and wants to save MQM and not Altaf Hussain,” the source said,
adding that Sattar is doing everything that formalises and concludes the stated “disconnect” between MQM Pakistan and MQM London.
It is argued that initially the Farooq Sattar-led MQM Pakistan was cautious to announce “total disconnect” with London fearing possible reaction from Muttahida workers.
However, to their good luck there has been no voice of protest raised against MQM Pakistan or in favour of Altaf Hussain.
In the situation where there has been no word of sympathy or support for Altaf Hussain, Farooq Sattar and other MQM leaders feel encouraged to be categorical in breaking their relations with London and Altaf Hussain.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s leader from Karachi, Ali Zaidi, has written an open letter to Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, seeking a clarification about the current status of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) after its leader’s Aug 22 anti-Pakistan diatribe.
In his Aug 27 letter which he shared with the media through Twitter and WhatsApp yesterday, the PTI’s former Karachi division president asked five questions, besides reminding the army chief of Quaid-i-Azam Mohamed Ali Jinnah’s March 1948 speech in which he had warned of the “fifth columnists” and said the government must deal with them “ruthlessly”.
Zaidi claimed that the MQM had been created by ex-president Gen Ziaul Haq and further aided/facilitated by former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf.
Therefore, by default, the responsibility to clean up the mess created by “your [Gen Raheel’s] predecessors sadly falls on your shoulders”.
Praising Rangers for their efforts to restore “relative peace” to Karachi, the PTI leader said that following MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s Aug 22 anti-Pakistan speech, the party should be banned and those still supporting it be held accountable.
He then asked how can anyone differentiate between the MQM-London and the MQM- Pakistan when it comes to the arrest of a target killer?
The question refers to an Aug 23 press conference by Dr Farooq Sattar, deputy convener of the MQM’s co-ordination committee, in which he declared that the party’s policies would now be decided in Pakistan, and not by its London secretariat.
