Will not resign to satisfy an individual's personal whims: Khawaja Izhar

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan parliamentarian Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan said on Friday that the party parliamentarians could not resign based on an individual's personal or political whims.

Speaking about a recent statement by the London secretariat asking MQM Pakistan leaders to resign Khawaja Izhar said, “We can not resign based on an individual’s personal or political whims. We had won the elections based on slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and not otherwise.”

He added that it was unconstitutional for anyone to demand resignations from parliamentarians. “However if democratic institutions do not change their policies towards us we will be forced to resign.”

He said 50 MQM Pakistan parliamentarians had seats in the Sindh Assembly of which 35 were actively participating in politics.

“Eleven of our parliamentarians are abroad but they fully believe in our politics,” he said. “Come home and join the party quickly,” he sent out a message to the parliamentarians who had gone abroad.

“Three of our parliamentarians who had publicly said that they had resigned from the party have either not sent in their resignations or their resignations have not been approved by the speaker,” he said.

He added that Erum Farooque had not sent in her resignation and she will still be considered an MQM MPA. She had earlier resigned after the MQM founder’s August 22 speech and anti-Pakistan slogans.

He added a resignation by Barrister Saifullah has been sent out on social media by a fake profile.

Khawaja Izhar said that his party will renew efforts to get its leaders out of prison. “We want transparent trials against our workers and leaders he said.

Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, parliamentarian Rauf Siddiqui and several other leaders are imprisoned.

At least 135 MQM workers have either been arrested or are missing, Khawaja Izhar said.

Earlier reports emerged that Muttahida Qaumi Movement parliamentarians in Pakistan have received phone calls from the London secretariat asking them to resign from their positions.

The phone calls demand resignations stating that the parliamentarians had won elections based on the MQM founder’s mandate. They ask the parliamentarians to run for a re-election.

 Visible rifts have emerged in the MQM Pakistan and MQM London after the former distanced itself from the party founder.