In a day of rapid developments that have the potential to reshape the political dynamics of Pakistan, the top brass of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) raised a virtual banner of revolt against party leader Altaf Hussain.
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The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemned an attack on local TV channel ARY News in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi by activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that left at least one person dead and several others injured. Altaf Hussain and the entire party are being ridiculed due to these statements,”Sattar said”.
“Whatever we are, we are because of Pakistan and any move to malign the country would be opposed by every Pakistani”, Shehbaz added.
Among those arrested was the deputy-convener of the MQM, Farooq Sattar, who later led the revolt against Mr. Hussain.
He said that time has come for taking action against the party chief. Our policy is to strengthen and make Pakistan prosperous. “Whatever happened yesterday should not have happened, we condemn it”, he said.
The imprisoned politician who is nearly certain to be the next mayor of Pakistan’s largest and richest city of Karachi will run the teeming metropolis via “video link” from his prison cell, his lawyer said on Wednesday. It is a city of mayhem, of vendettas and of street warfare – in no small part because of Akhtar’s party, which also operates a militant wing.
While addressing a press conference at his Bani Gala residence Imran Khan said that the language Altaf Hussain has used does not represent the aspirations of Urdu speaking community.
Sattar also announced that he will be assuming control of the party leadership.
MQM leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Nasreen Jalil, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Dr Amir Liaquat and many members parliament were present on the occasion. The senior membership of MQM confirmed that they are no longer under the directive of Hussain.
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It has clashed repeatedly with authorities who, according to rights groups, have resorted to hundreds of extra-judicial killings during a “clean-up” operation that began in 2013 in a city already plagued by violence.
