MQM doors open for all deserters: Waseem Akhtar

• MQM leader says party's doors are open for all deserters. 
• Says Khalid Maqbool is party's convener, everyone will work under him. 
• Says don't believe that establishment is behind unification bid. 

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) Deputy Convener Waseem Akhtar said that the party's doors are open for everyone who wants to join as the MQM is the mother party and everyone should join it.

"Our party has its own rules and constitution. We all follow those rules. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui is the convener of the party and he has the mandate of the Coordination Committee. It does not matter if someone accepts it or not," he said, speaking in the Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” on Friday.

He said that the MQM-P Coordination Committee has not decided anything regarding the unification of the MQM. The committee, however, has discussed the efforts made by the Governor of Sindh. It is already decided if anyone wants to rejoin the MQM-P, they would be bound to follow the party rules and policy. No matter if he is Siddiqui or Akhtar, those rules apply.

He said there is nothing wrong with those who left the MQM under some pressure in the past but they now want to return to the party. However, he made it clear that those interested in unity will have to return to their parent party.

He said that Kamran Tessori was suspended by the MQM-P for a six-month period. At that time he was deputy convener. When Tessori joined the MQM-P on Siddiqui’s request and he was reinstated in the same position. But Tessori’s case was a different case. Our party has some rules. Tessori also follows those rules and policies.

He stated that who deserves which position will be determined later. Currently, we are offering them [PSP and Dr Farooq Sattar] an opportunity to join the party. We have not initiated any talks with any party, leader, or faction. We have informed the Governor of Sindh about this. We have invited them to come and join us because there are challenges to face.

He said that Fawad Chaudhry has no credibility. Everyone knows how Chaudhry rose to political prominence and how many political parties he has switched, he asserted. 

"If MQM-P was the party of goons, then how Imran Khan became prime minister after stealing 14 seats of Karachi that belonged to the MQM-P. "And this is how Imran Khan became the goons' prime minister," he emphasized.

He said, "We had already requested that these leaders not create their own parties. I had said on the record that they would be zero without the MQM-P."

He said that he doesn’t think that the establishment is behind the unification of the MQM factions. There is nothing wrong if members of a party who left due to pressure rejoin their parent party.

He said that there were no differences between MQM-P leaders. Even Aamir Khan, several times, has stated that these leaders should rejoin the MQM-P. We wanted to strengthen our party. Elections will come again. We now want MQM-P to be a strong party like it was in the past.

He said that the MQM-P has distanced itself from Altaf Hussain because of his statement against the country. Several times, Hussain announced boycotts of elections giving the benefit to those who don’t want to see Karachi as a developed city.

Akhtar said that since the establishment of MQM, no concession and space has been given to the party. We want a space to resolve the problems of our people. We have parted ways with Altaf Hussain and there is no chance of his return to the party. We have our own politics. He said that MQM-P is the king-maker party even at this time.