Farooq Sattar takes final decision regarding NA-245 by-polls

KARACHI: Disgruntled Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar has announced to contest NA-245 by-polls as an independent candidate with the symbol of ‘lock’, ARY News reported on Monday.

Farooq Sattar has announced his final decision regarding his participation in the NA-245 by-polls. Sattar’s announcement hinted at the failure of talks between Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) led by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and his own faction MQM Bahali Committee.

The disgruntled leader of MQM announced to contest NA-245 by-elections on July 27 as an independent candidate.

READ: NA-245 POLLS: FAROOQ SATTAR, MQM-P PATCH-UP ON THE CARDS

In a press conference today, he criticised that the MQM-P leaders did not remember him during the last four years and he was defeated in the 2018 general elections.

Sattar said that he made efforts with good intentions for mending ties with Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. “I have held three meetings with him which remained inconclusive.”

“I did not leave the MQM but I was forced to part ways with it. Our voters want to see all of us together. I was trying to rejoin MQM to restore its reputation. However, those people cannot do politics when they are being controlled by some hidden hands.”

READ: MUHAJIRS HAVE NO OPTION OTHER THAN RECONCILIATION: FAROOQ SATTAR

Farooq Sattar said that he has adopted the same narrative as Imran Khan a long time ago. He added that he always tried to give opportunities to new faces and young leaders to start their political careers.

On July 1, MQM-P leadership had offered the senior politician to rejoin the party and contest the NA-245 by-elections under the symbol of Kite.

Sattar had suggested multiple times in the last few weeks that the only viable option for the Urdu-speaking community is to unite.

Karachi’s NA-245 had been vacated after the demise of PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain on June 9, 2022.

PTI’s Aamir Liaquat Hussain won the 2018 general election on NA-245, getting 56615 votes. The runner-up candidate was MQM-P veteran Farooq Sattar who got 35,247 votes.