Ali Raza Abidi is an asset, deserves ticket for by-elections: Farooq Sattar

KARACHI: The Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Monday denied that disgruntled member and former parliamentarian Syed Ali Raza Abidi had left the party.

Speaking to reporters after attending the concluding day of the annual urs of Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi, MQM-P senior leader Farooq Sattar said that Abidi was a valuable asset and will remain a part of the party.

He said that it was the responsibility of the coordination to convince Abidi, who shockingly left the party ahead of the upcoming by-elections, and address his reservations.

“Ali Raza Abidi is an asset and has the right to receive the ticket for the by-elections. The coordination committee should visit and persuade him to withdraw his resignation.

“The coordination committee had also sidelined me but I have no grievances. We were one and will always be one,” he said.

He also complained that he was not invited when the MQM-P delegation met with Prime Minister Imran Khan, or when presidential candidate Maulana Fazalur Rehman visited the party office recently.

Regarding the urs of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, the MQM-P leader said that Sindh was the land of love and peace. He said that more trees should be planted to counter environmental pollution.

He said a water treatment plant set up at Mauripur was not functional and it was the reprehensibility of the government of Sindh.

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MQM-P leader Amir Khan said that it will speak to Abidi and convince him as he was still part of their team. He denied receiving any resignation on behalf of Abidi, adding that any reservations should be brought forward and will be duly addressed.

Abidi had announced to quit party and resign from the basic membership before the by-polls on NA-243 consituency. He had lost the seat during the general elections to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

The MQM has reportedly nominated Faisal Sabzwari for the seat. The by-polls are scheduled to be held on October 14.

Abidi has insisted that the resignation should be accepted. “Kindly accept my resignation at earliest as my decision is final. I am not interested in any further discussion on this issue,” he said on Monday in a tweet to MQM-P convernor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Last week, Abidi had expressed dissapointment for not being nominated for the by-elections in NA-243 said it was his right to offered the seat by the MQM.

“Naturally I feel bad for not being nominated from NA243 where we worked hard just last month. It was my right/merit to be offered the seat by MQM. However, I congratulate the selected candidate and know for sure that he will win the elections because we had won it then as well,” he wrote on social media site Twitter