Sattar, Amir lead separate MQM-P sessions after differences over Senate tickets

KARACHI: Differences forced Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Farooq Sattar and fellow party leader Amir Khan to lead two different party sessions to finalise the names for upcoming Senate polls, ARY News reported Monday night.

According to ARY News correspondent Rafay Hussain, a party session at MQM-P’s Bahadurabad office was underway when Amir Khan and some other leaders objected upon the nomination of Deputy Convener Kamran Tessori for Senate polls.

Farooq Sattar, who was leading the session, left for his Peer Ilahi Bukhsh (PIB) Colony residence and asked all the party leaders to join him “for an urgent meeting”.

“All elected representatives (Senators, MNA’s, MPA’s, Mayor, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Councillors) and the Tanzeemi members including all workers of MQM Pakistan are asked to immediately reach PIB at my house for an urgent meeting,” Dr Farooq Sattar wrote on his Twitter account.

Amir Khan and like-minded party leaders, however, continued the session at party’s Bahadurabad office. Prominent party leaders including Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Faisal Sabzwari and Kanwar Naveed Jameel stayed with Amir Khan at the Bahadurabad office.

Amir Khan faction suspends Tessori

The party leaders at MQM-P’s Bahadurabad office later told media that Farooq Sattar is still their chief but announced suspension of Kamran Tessori from party’s Rabita Committee and from party’s basic membership for six months.

Speaking on behalf of his party, veteran MQM-P leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that party had finalised four major names for Senate polls which included veteran leaders Nasreen Jalil, Farogh Nasim, Aminul Haque and Shabbir Qaimkhani while names of Kamran Tessori and Amir Khan were kept at number five and number six; but Sattar wanted Tessori’s name in top four (in order to secure his election as a Senator).

Siddiqui maintained that party eased a lot of rules for Sattar and gave Tessori a place in party’s central structure but now the leaders can no longer tolerate violation of party rules on the desire of an individual.

He further revealed that Farooq Sattar claimed that Shabbir Qaimkhani is ready to take back his name for Tessori but Qaimkhani himself denied the claim.

Farooq Sattar announces rally, calls Amir Khan faction presser “violation of party discipline”

Farooq Sattar, spoke to media minutes after the Bahadurabad press conference, and said that the Amir Khan faction is falsely blaming him for unnecessarily siding with Kamran Tessori.

He termed the press conference announcing Tessori’s suspension as party member and Rabita Committee member “against MQM’s constitution” and “violation of party discipline”.

Sattar asked all the party workers to attend a party session at KMC stadium on Tuesday in large numbers and termed the session a barometer for his popularity as party chief.

“If they (Amir Khan and other like-minded leaders) are accusing me of favouring Tessori, they have show their hatred for a single member of party by suspending him in a press conference without my approval, this is also a violation of party discipline and MQM’s constitution,” said Farooq Sattar.

He asked as to how can the Amir Khan faction call him chief and address a press conference without his approval at the same time.

Sattar reminded party leaders and workers of his services for the revival of the party after August 22, 2016 debacle but maintained that he doesn’t wish to become a powerless leader.

It is pertinent to note here that MQM broke into two factions on August 23, 2016 when the party’s leaders dissociated themselves from founder Altaf Hussain under the leadership of Farooq Sattar.