Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain officially handed over complete power to the Rabita Committee hours after the party announced to separate its operations from the London office.
“I am handing over complete power related to policy-making, decision-making as well as organisational authority to the Rabita Committee,” said the MQM chief.
“Leader Altaf Hussain endorses Rabita Committee’s presser; tasks RC to deal with organisational andpolitical issues,” MQM convenor Nadeem Nusrat said on Twitter.
The senior party leaders disassociated themselves from Hussain’s anti-Pakistan speech that triggered countrywide uproar and widespread condemnation and disavowed the London-based decision-making body of the party.
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“What was said against the state, the slogans raised (against Pakistan) were never a part of MQM’s policy from day one,” Farooq Sattar told journalists at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) where he was not allowed to speak by the Rangers a day earlier. He was flanked by other senior party colleagues including Nasreen Jalil, Khawaja Izharul Hassan and Amir Liaquat Hussain.
Sattar said that whoever uses the platform of MQM to attack media offices and portray the party in such a negative image is also not part of the party either.
Coming more to the point and the crux of the whole press conference, Farooq Sattar said that the consistently used excuse that Altaf Hussain is under mental pressure and hence made such statements, can no longer be accepted, that the time has come to address this problem and call it an illness.
Farooq Sattar used the terms ‘damage control’ to explain their current strategic position after Monday’s events. He said the statements of Altaf Hussain, by which he “ridicules” himself, and all members and workers of the party eliminated all the political gains from the weeklong hunger strike.
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“I urge MQM’s party members, respective leaders, workers and supporters to support the Rabita Committee by making it stronger. Meanwhile, following the committee’s advice, I will focus on improving my health,” Hussain’s statement read.
Reiterating his apology for the uproar which his speech stoked, the MQM chief said, “Pakistan was, is and will always remain my country.” He further added he was undergoing severe mental stress as a result of a series of events and disturbing news.
On Monday, following Hussain’s provocative address, scores of MQM activists ransacked an ARY News office before clashing with police, leaving at least one person dead and over half a dozen injured. Whatever happened yesterday should not have happened, we condemn it,” he said.
