Kabira
BANNED
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2014
- Messages
- 14,383
- Reaction score
- -20
- Country
- Location
MQM backtracks from 'one manifesto, one symbol, one party' alliance with PSP
Dawn.comUpdated November 09, 2017
37
0
MQM will stick with its own electoral symbol and manifesto, despite a political coalition with PSP, says MQM leader. —DawnNews
The Pakistan faction of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), only a day after announcing an alliance with Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), declared on Thursday that it would contest the 2018 general elections under its own party symbol and manifesto — not with Mustafa Kamal's party.
MQM leader Kanwar Naveed Jameel announced this decision while addressing a press conference, flanked by senior party leaders Nasreen Jalil and Faisal Sabzwari, following an emergency huddle of the party's Rabita Committee to discuss the prevailing political situation.
Meanwhile, MQM chief Dr Farooq Sattar, who could not attend the party meeting due to "personal reasons", called an "urgent" press conference later in the evening to "make an important announcement".
"MQM is the voice of Muhajirs; it was the voice before August 22 and will remain to be so," he said at the press conference, referring to the day that led to Sattar sidelining party founder Altaf Hussain.
"Don’t go so far in spreading hatred against Altaf Hussain that you harm your own people. The tone used by Mustafa Kamal yesterday was not of unity and reconciliation," said Sattar, before adding that he could "have said all of this yesterday, but didn’t want to grab the mic from Mustafa Kamal bhai".
MQM to stick to its own electoral symbol
The leaders of MQM and PSP had set aside their bitter rivalry on Wednesday to announce that they were gearing up for the eventual consolidation of their political forces and that they would contest the 2018 general elections under "one name, one manifesto, one symbol and one party."
However, Jameel made it clear on Thursday that MQM will stick with its own electoral symbol and manifesto, despite a political coalition with Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).
"Some confusions had emerged following yesterday's press conference," said Naveed.
"Farooq Sattar had referred towards forming a political coalition just like the Islami Jamhuri Ittehad and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal," Jameel said, clarifying that the party will remain intact.
The MQM leader further said the party will contest the 2018 elections under its own symbol in the constituencies where it had won in 2013.
The party leaders during the meeting expressed complete trust in Dr Farooq Sattar, he maintained.
"Our voters and supporters should not get confused with the statements of political personalities and TV persons," he concluded.
Though the modalities of the newly envisioned political alliance were not announced, PSP chief Mustafa Kamal had made it clear that “it would be anything but MQM”.
"I am not backing down from what I stand for — we came to bring down Altaf Hussain and destroy his toxic legacy,” he had maintained. “Farooq Sattar may not be comfortable with PSP at this moment, but we have categorically decided that we will not unite under the name of MQM.”
I'm started to like Mustafa Kamal, he's not backing down on doing politics for all of Karachi and not just muhajirs who are 40% of Karachi population.
