Sattar files petition to evade ECP intervention in party affairs

ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar on Thursday challenged the jurisdiction of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hear a petition pertaining to the party’s convenership.

Sattar through his lawyer Babar Sattar submitted a petition in the ECP against a decision of approving a petition filed by Rabita Committee-led Bahadurabad group for hearing.

The ECP couldn’t hear the party’s internal affairs, the MQM-P leader contended in his petition.

The petitioner also pleaded with the commission to dismiss the petition submitted by the party’s splinter group.

Talking to press outside the ECP premises, Sattar took exception to the commission’s intervention and insisted that the MQM-P belongs to the party workers and only they would protect it.

On the occasion, he offered an intra-party election for the convenership to Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in a bid to unify the party and evade the ECP intervention.

Sattar maintained that the issue of convenership could be resolved within the framework of the party’s constitution.

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The major opposition party in Sindh split into two groups ahead of Senate elections in March over the nominations.

Bahadurabad faction removed Farooq Sattar as party chief for “violating its constitution and overstepping his authority”.

Afterwards, in a tit for tat move Sattar dissolved the Rabita Committee (Coordination Committee) and announced to hold intra-party elections to elect the new party head.