Karachi (Web Desk): The Mutahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Thursday reunified after Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal joined the party ranks.
The development comes ahead of local government elections in Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta divisions, scheduled for January 15.
The MQM-P had challenged the election commission’s decision for the prospective use of two separate electoral rolls simultaneously but its plea was rejected.
The announcement also came a day after the MQM-P staged a power show in Karachi to protest against the polls and threatened to leave the ruling coalition if its demands were not met.
Addressing a press conference flanked by Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar and other leaders at party's Bhadurabad headquarters, MQM-Ps Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the "graveness" of the situation in Sindh's urban areas requires all people to join hands.
He said that under the circumstances, it s important the people, whose families laid down their lives for Pakistan's formations, should come together for a historic struggle.
Responding a question, the MQM-P convener said that the party would not allow the staging of the upcoming local body polls.
"If they redo the delimitation again, we are ready to participate in the local body polls. If it is not fixed, then we will fight for our rights," Khalid said.
Addressing the presser, Mustafa Kamal said that said the reunification of different factions of the MQM will go down in history as the most important development.
A conspiracy is being hatched to occupy different areas of Karachi and for this reason he decided to set aside differences and rejoin MQM-P to jointly struggle for the rights of the Sindh’s urban population.
“We did not rid the city from the influence of Altaf Hussain and RAW [Indian spy agency] so that Asif Zardari take over this city,” he said
Kamal said PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari is trying to make his son and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari prime minister of the country.
“If Zardari wants to make Bilawal prime minister then he needs to realise that this is not possible without addressing the grievances of the of the people of Karachi and other urban areas,” Kamal added.
He also demanded to release missing MQM workers, saying one-time amnesty should be granted to them “as they had played major role for the development of this city”.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Farooq Sattar said that the MQM was moving away from its past reputation and becoming a party for intellectuals and educated individuals. He also stated that the MQM should be allowed to fulfill its national responsibility.
“MQM is a ray of hope in the current political and economic crisis for Pakistan as all political parties of the country are fighting each other. Our action will show why we have gathered here,” he added.
Speaking about flood aid pledges of over $10 billion, Sattar said Karachi alone can gather this amount if given chance.
“Today we are launching an organised and dynamic MQM. The division of MQM was a deadly poison. We are putting aside all and reuniting under the banner of MQM, ” Sattar said.
Speaking about the upcoming local government polls, saying that “MQM will stage the biggest dharna on Sharae Faisal. We will see how the Jan 15 elections will take place.”
It is pertinent to mention that Mustafa Kamal had established the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) in 2016 and Dr Farooq Sattar formed the MQM-P Bahali Committee in 2018 after developing differences with the party.
