Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar dropped a bombshell during the last meeting between the federal government and the delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Wednesday night, saying that the military establishment wanted the government to accept the resignations of the MQM lawmakers but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was resisting the pressure, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.
Sources in the government’s team informed Pakistan Today that MQM chief Altaf Hussain had scuttled the negotiations at the eleventh hour by adding five new demands to the already agreed upon agenda. It not only left the government’s negotiating team shocked but also attracted ire of the prime minister and chief guarantor between both sides, Fazlur Rehman, they added.
No member of the negotiating teams was ready to discuss the subject on the record.
“We were taken aback when we heard the news demands from MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar. Those demands included lifting of an unannounced ban on the airing of speeches and interviews of Altaf Hussain, freedom to the MQM’s workers to collect hides on Eidul Azha, free functioning of MQM’s sector and unit offices, etc,” a source in the government’s team told Pakistan Today.
The source added that Dar told the MQM delegates that these all demands had nothing to do with the federal government and were related to the establishment.
“Dar also told the MQM delegation that the army wanted the government to accept the resignations. However, prime minister was dragging his feet and he had directed the authorities concerned not to accept the MQM resignations. However, Dr Sattar pressed Senator Dar to contact the prime minister and put his party’s demands before him,” the source said. The source added that Senator Dar left the meeting halfway and went to see the prime minister who was busy with some engagements as he had to leave for Attaabad, Gilgit, the next day where he was to address some public meetings.
The source said that Senator Dar returned after a while and told the meeting that he had informed the prime minister about the new demands of the MQM and he had told him that he would personally address the grievances of the MQM delegation on Thursday once he returns from Attaabad.
“It was also agreed between both the sides that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Barrister Zafarullah Khan would meet Fazlur Rehman about the outcome of the meeting and new demands put forth by the MQM,” the source added.
The next morning he woke up with disturbing news that the MQM delegation had announced to boycott the negotiations and they were leaving for Karachi, the source added.
When contacted, a senior member of the JUI-F confirmed the details shared by the ruling party leader, saying that the talks had been cancelled on the orders of MQM chief Hussain.
“It seems that the MQM leader is fast losing his cool. Over time, he has lost his charm while successive cases have also a negative impact on his health. These days, the MQM leadership is making erratic decisions out of which around 95 percent are withdrawn within next few hours,” the JUI leader said.
Asked about JUI-F chief Falzur Rehman’s reaction, the JUI leader said, “Maulana was unhappy with the behaviour of the MQM negotiators and he was mulling to review his role as negotiator. He is cursing himself for playing a role of a guarantor. He feels that Altaf Hussain is going down but he is making sure to take the MQM down along with him. It’s suicide!,” the JUI leader said. He added that it was unfortunate to note that a party which had one of the best decision-making system was now a hostage to a person who has lost reason.
“After years of eventful life, Altaf Hussain has been under pressure on several fronts. He is ill and can’t take decisions with political vision and can’t balance things. Reason has been replaced with emotional decisions, which is badly damaging the MQM’s image,” the JUI leader added.
DAR BACKS OFF:
When contacted, a leader of the MQM who was privy to the negotiations confirmed that Senator Dar had expressed inability of the government to implement the five-point demands put forth by the MQM.
“Senator Dar frankly told the MQM delegation that fulfilling those demands was out of their mandate and he could not give any commitment in this regard. He told us that these issues were related to the army and Rangers so the civilian government can’t do much. He also told that it was prime minister who wanted the resignations of the MQM lawmakers not accepted despite the fact that the military leadership was pressing hard to oust the MQM from assemblies,” he added.
Asked who had put new demands to the already agreed agenda, the MQM leader said that the points were sent from London.
“Altaf Hussain Bhai was unhappy with the unannounced ban on his speeches. He wanted the prime minister to give orders to PEMRA to lift this illegal ban. So we told the government team that if the prime minister can’t get his orders implemented, there was no point in talking to them,” the MQM leader added.
He refused to accept the fact that it was Altaf Hussain who had scuttled the talks, saying that the arrogance of the prime minister was the real reason for the failed talks.
“MQM is a major party in both houses of the parliament and also in Sindh. We can’t be cowed down. If we are pushed against wall, we will resist like we did in 1992 and 1994,” warned the MQM leader.
