Muttahida decides to remove disowned chief’s name from party flag

MQM coordination committee took the decision to remove MQM’s founder name from the party flag during its meeting in Karachi today.

The second-in-command of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Hussain, Dr Farooq Sattar said, the ‘kite’ would continue to stay on the party flag since it is the electoral symbol of MQM as per the Election Commission of Pakistan.

In a strange shift, Sattar also ordered party activists to remove MQM’s flags with his name from the main roads of the city at the earliest.

Party to table resolution against Hussain

Dr Farooq Sattar also pledged on Wednesday to table a resolution against Altaf Hussain in the National Assembly, condemning the comments against Pakistan, he made in his recent speeches that went public.

The announcement is clearly a major move by MQM leadership in Pakistan since the majority of the party members, including Sattar, disowned its chief last week.

History is certainly in the making as for the first time in Pakistan, a political party would table a resolution against its own founder.

Must Read: Pakistan sends reference to UK against Altaf’s August 22 speech

Party sources told ARY News that MQM’s top leadership were finalising the content of the resolution for which consultations were underway within the party.

On the floor of the assembly’s next session in the federal capital, Muttahida would once again strongly condemn its founder anti-Pakistan statements, including other politicians of varying political parties who made such statements in the past.

Breaking off ties with MQM’s founder, another Muttahida leader Kunwar Naveed Jamil also distanced himself from Hussain on Wednesday and said, he not only now supports Sattar but also his party policies.

What is ahead for MQM and its leadership?

One of the most popular political parties in Sindh, particularly Karachi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement has been going through a make-or-break time since its founder made enraged comments against Pakistan and its existence on August 22 while addressing party workers and supporters at the end of a 6-day long hunger protest.

Violence erupted in Karachi after Hussain provoked MQM activists to attack media houses for the not covering their protest the way he was expecting them to.

MQM workers attacked ARY News Bureau office in Karachi and clashed with police leaving one person dead and several others injured.

The next day following the chaos, Sattar disowned Hussain’s statements and insisted to have distanced MQM from the anti-Pakistan comments, saying the party should now be run “from Pakistan alone” instead of London.

Also Read: Farooq Sattar seeks security for interim party headquarters

Since then, a massive crackdown against MQM is underway in the country, mainly Sindh. Until today, several party offices have been demolished while scores of MQM workers have been apprehended.

On Tuesday, the interior ministry of Pakistan formally also sent a reference against Altaf Hussain over his August 22 behaviour, for which he did apologise blaming “mental stress.”

MQM’s founder has a history of addressing party members in Pakistan through a loudspeaker linked to his London home telephone since he has taken a refuge in Edgware, England for more than 20 years.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said it was investigating whether Hussain’s leader incited violence in Karachi when he addressed party workers and supporters from his north-London base.