Afaq Ahmed extends olive branch, MQM demands apology

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has sought an apology from MQM-Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed for ‘backstabbing the Muhajir community’ in response to his offer to hold dialogue.

A statement issued in the wee hours of Tuesday by a spokesman for MQM said those who demolished unity of the Muhajir community and backstabbed it should extend an apology to the Almighty and the nation.

The chief of Muhajir Qaumi Movement – also known as MQM-Haqiqi – had extended an olive branch to his party’s main political rivals, the MQM earlier on Monday. Afaq Ahmed had offered the Rabita Committee of the MQM to hold dialogue to remove decades-old animosity between the two parties.

Ahmed said he was ready to visit the Nine-Zero – headquarters of Altaf Hussain-led MQM. He added he did not want to go there to join MQM but to bring the two parties closer.

“Politics of speeches and arguments is better than the politics of fighting,” he had said while speaking at a press conference.

Meanwhile, MQM’s spokesman in today’s statement said that Urdu-speaking youth and their parents are still being targeted in Landhi, Malir and Lines Area neighbourhoods of Karachi even today.

“They are being forced to leave their homes through terrorism as houses and offices are being attacked on daily basis,” said the MQM spokesman.

He said those speaking about interest of Muhajir community today should not have made youth, mothers, sisters and elders of the community a victim of terrorism if they cared about them.