ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) has withdrawn itself from the ongoing negotiation process with the government and demanded the acceptance of resignations of the party’s lawmakers at once.
MQM made the announcement in an emergency press conference at Islamabad Federal Lodges on Thursday wee hours, the party’s negotiations team headed by Dr. Farooq Sattar put forth three basic demands: “Undeclared ban on MQM’s welfare activities be lifted; MQM’s political offices be allowed to function and; Altaf Hussain’s recorded statements be allowed to go on air on electronic media.”
Farooq Sattar said that MQM’s six-member team held a third round of talks with the government’s negotiation team on Wednesday night.
Later, he said, a joint meeting of MQM’s Rabitta (coordination) committees Karachi and London was held.
It was decided in the meeting that MQM withdraw itself from the ongoing negotiation with the government on the bases of government’s ‘non-serious attitude’, Dr Farooq Sattar said.
He said MQM lawmakers tendered their resignations from assemblies and the Senate on August 12 and even after a lapse of almost 20 days no grievance-redressal committee was formed by the government.
He said all the political offices of MQM stand shut and its welfare wing Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) was not being allowed to carry out its activities.
He said his party’s chief Altaf Hussain’s statements – both live and recorded – have been banned from going on air, terming it an unconstitutional act. “I ask the owners of electronic media outlets under whose instructions they have decided not to air Altaf Hussain’s statements,” he said.
