Sattar hits back at Bahadurabad faction, 'dissolves' MQM-P Rabita Committee
Sattar announces intraparty elections on February 17
February 11, 2018
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Sunday announced that he was dissolving the party's Rabita Committee, hours after members of the coordination committee at the party's Bahadurabad office said he was no longer the convener of the party.
Addressing a general workers' meeting here, Sattar announced conduct of intraparty elections at KMC Ground on February 17.
"First we will contest the party election and then 2018 general elections," he said, urging all the workers to show up at the KMC Ground on February 17.
He urged the workers to stay united and not to fall prey to the propaganda of Bahadurabad faction of the party.
"APMSO is also with us," Sattar said, asking activists to make a final decision what is to be done of the other faction. "We will not opt for a collision, but struggle peacefully."
The MQM-P leader said that the ones under the propaganda of Bahadurabad faction should come on Saturday and express their opinion in the [intraparty] election.
The latest episode of infighting between two factions of the party started over the issue of distribution of party tickets for next month's Senate elections, with the Bahadurabad group opposing Sattar's nomination of relative newcomer Kamran Tessori over seasoned party leader.
But, speaking to the media on Sunday, Sattar said the issue was not over distribution of Senate tickets but a conspiracy had been hatched to 'seize control' of the party.
"My naive colleagues have proven that the issue was not about the nominations for Senate election, it was about the party leadership," a spirited Sattar told the journalists.
"The conspiracy has been revealed and the cat has come out of the bag now," he said. "The issue was not over tickets for Senate seats, it was about taking control over the party itself."
"They haven't sacked me — they have deprived every deserving worker of this party of their due right," said Sattar. "A fitting response will be given soon at the KMC Ground today.
Responding to allegations of amending the party's constitutions without informing the Rabita Committee and taking, in his control, other rights, Sattar questioned how a 'powerful leader' like him was removed with such ease.
"If I am the powerful leader that I was alleged to be, how did [they] remove me so easily," he said.
"One cat has come out of the bag and many others will do so in the coming days," claimed Sattar, adding that MQM - Haqiqi 2's foundation has been laid today.
The dispute between the PIB Colony and Bahadurabad factions had emerged on February 6 after both parties had taken different positions on the nominations of party members for the upcoming Senate elections.
'Sattar breached Rabita Committee's trust'
The party's coordination committee had earlier announced the decision to remove Sattar as the party's convener.
"The Rabita Committee has decided to remove Dr Farooq Sattar as the party's convener," senior party leader Kanwar Naveed Jameel had announced in a press conference on Sunday evening.
"Farooq Sattar breached the Rabita Committee's trust," Jameel had said, alleging that the former party chief had changed MQM-P's constitution without bringing it into the knowledge of the central coordination committee.
