Disgruntled leaders start gathering under MQM flag after CM House protest

KARACHI: Following the police action against Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) at CM House, many disgruntled leaders of the political party started gathering under one flag.

Farooq Sattar, who stayed away from the politics and public appearances, rushed to meet the MQM-P leaders after the protestors were baton-charged by police outside CM House.

Sources said that other dissident leaders including Waseem Aftab, Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Saleem Tajik had also visited MQM-P Bahadurabad headquarters led by its convenor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Moreover, Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Afaq Ahmed had also announced to forget his differences with the MQM leaders and meet them in person.

Analysts said that the Sindh police action gave a major political benefit to the MQM as it paved way for the dissident leaders to get united under one flag.

During a late night press conference on Wednesday, MQM-P convenor Siddiqui said that Farooq Sattar is a friend and anybody who works under the MQM flag will be considered as a friend.

Yesterday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan People’s Party-led (PPP) Sindh government had come face-to-face over the controversial local government (LG) law after the opposition political party in Sindh and ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Centre converted its rally into a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House yesterday.

Just a day ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), MQM-P had chosen to hold a sit-in in the Red Zone in front of CM House located near the hotels where foreign and national players are staying for the mega tournament, to protest against the Sindh LG law and discriminative actions of the PPP-led provincial government on Wednesday.

The PTI ally in the Centre earlier announced to organise a protest rally that would end on Karachi Press Club (KPC) without elaborating its plan for any advancement towards the CM House. However, in a sudden move, the MQM-P workers led by central leadership removed the barricades in Red Zone and held a sit-in outside CM House.

Senior police officers had asked the protestors to clear the place, however, MQM-P protestors refused to change their venue until the government side held talks with them.

Before any formal talks with the government and protestors, police baton-charged and fired tear gas shells to disperse the MQM-P workers including women and children. The police action resulted in the injuries of activists and lawmakers and the death of a political worker, turning the situation tenser in Karachi.