A delegation of senators from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Monday called on secretary of the Senate and withdrew their resignations. Four senators – Tahir Mashhadi, Nighat Mirza, Mian Atiq, Khushbakht Shujaat withdrew their resignations to attend Monday’s session. Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani at the outset of the session announced that MQM senators have withdrawn their resignations, which were tendered in August this year under protest, and are attending the proceedings of the House. MQM members in the National Assembly (MNAs) are also expected to take back their resignations on November 6. MQM senators led by Senator Tahir Mashhadi also called on Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani. Senator Tahir Mashhadi later talking to media said that his party was not opposed to the operation in Karachi but urged that it be restricted to the operation against criminal elements only. On August 12 this year, MQM resigned from the Parliament and the Sindh Assembly, against what it called extrajudicial killings and disappearances of its workers at the hands of law enforcement agencies in Karachi.
Speaking on the floor of the House, MQM Parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar had said his party’s decision to resign from all legislative bodies was taken after long deliberations.
He said the MQM chief was being singled out as in the past, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, JI leader Munawar Hassan and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif have all criticised the military and have expressed insulting remarks against them.
The MQM leader claimed that the army chief and Karachi corps commander refused to meet him after he approached them to convey MQM’s concerns.
Accusing the state institutions of not understanding the true spirit of the Karachi operation, Farooq said, “If you cannot feel the heat of the fire engulfing our homes, just remember this fire could also engulf your home.”
Terming a list of wanted MQM workers produced by Rangers fake, Sattar said the Karachi operation is being politicised as real criminals are being given a safe exit.
They also claimed that the party office bearers, workers and supporters are being illegally detained and tortured by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) adding that more than 40 MQM workers and supporters have been killed extra-judicially in last two years, while as many as 150 party workers are still missing.
In a letter submitted along with the resignations, MQM alleged that LEAs particularly Rangers are “siding with and supporting activities of PTI with a view to impose it on Karachi by marginilising MQM.”
The federal government had issued a notification on October 16 to form a five-member grievances redressal committee that was given the mandate to register and resolve concerns raised by the MQM related to the Rangers-led security operation in Karachi.
