Sattar and Khan groups come up with separate names for Senate candidates

• Amir Khan announces six names for Senate race against four suggested by Farooq Sattar
• Khawaja Izharul Hassan says MQM-P will remain united

KARACHI: The fissure in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) seems to have widened as Amir Khan announced six names as party’s nominees for Senate elections against four names announced by Farooq Sattar for the same race.

Party Convener Farooq Sattar on Wednesday suggested the names of Ahmed Chinoy, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, Ansar Naqvi and Farhan Chishti for the Senate polls whereas party’s Deputy Convener Amir Khan announced the names of Farough Nasim, Shabbir Qaim Khani, Zahid Mansuri, Kishwar Zahra, Nasreen Jameel and Aminul Haq.

The MQM-P leaders gave these names after rumours made rounds of a split in the party after Sattar abruptly left a party meeting on February 5 over a disagreement on nominations of Senate candidates with senior party leader Amir Khan.

According to sources, the party members now suggested by Sattar have already filled nomination forms.

Earlier, it was reported that party leader Shabbir Ahmed Qaim Khani withdrew his candidacy from Senate election in an audio message released Wednesday night. “I am withdrawing my candidacy from the Senate election,” he announced.

He further stated, “I was nominated after a decision was made by the Rabita Committee and not on the basis of my own wishes,” adding that he will not submit his nomination papers now. “I do not wish to have a Senatorship that has no respect,” he said.

Senior party leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan, however, dispelled rumours of a rift within the party saying that workers will not be divided under any circumstances. “MQM-P was united and shall remain united,” he had said.

Earlier, MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari announced that a three-member delegation had been sent to Farooq Sattar to talk matters out.

Talking to the media, the MQM-P leader said, “We have sent a three-member delegation including Sardar Ahmad, Rauf Siddiqui, and Javed Hanif to discuss matters with Farooq Sattar.”

He said that the Rabita Committee had given the mandate over the matter to the delegation. “In the past, Rabita Committee only made suggestions, and decisions were made in London but now all decisions are made in Pakistan.”

On Tuesday, Farooq Sattar and Amir Khan called separate meetings.

Sattar had earlier said that all the party leaders have been suspended who were involved in the “illegal” meeting where the decision, to suspend Kamran Tessori from the party’s central decision-making body and suspend membership for six months, was taken.

A separate Raabita Committee was called by the MQM-P leader Amir Khan at the Bahadurabad party office.

On Monday, party chief Dr Farooq Sattar walked out of a party meeting in Bahadurabad after the party leadership indulged in a heated argument over the names decided for the Senate elections.

The meeting, however, was resumed with Amir Khan in the chair after Dr Sattar left the venue. The apparent reason behind Dr Sattar’s boycott of the proceedings of the meeting was the issue of Senate ticket to Kamran Tessori.

According to initial reports, Amir Khan wanted Faisal Sabzwari to get the ticket for Senate elections, whereas Dr Sattar reportedly wanted Kamran Tessori to get the ticket despite the “Rabita Committee’s objections to it”.

Talking to a local media outlet following the incident, Dr Sattar accused Amir Khan of trying to take over the party by going against him several times.

It may be mentioned here that in November Amir Khan had rejected the rumours of him having any intentions of taking over the party.  Furthermore, according to details of the meeting led by Amir Khan, the party leadership at Bahadurabad wants Dr Sattar to stay; however, they want Kamran Tessori to leave the MQM-P.

MQM-P leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui announced in a press conference that Kamran Tessori has been dismissed from the party’s Rabita Committee and his membership had been suspended for six months.

In a new development taking place on Tuesday evening, Farooq Sattar could not be appeased by the delegation sent to pacify him as he refused to visit the party’s office in Bahadurabad and held on to his stance to give Senate tickets to those candidates whose names were finalised by him. Earlier in the day, Sabzwari had announced that a three-member delegation was sent to talk out the differences with Sattar.

On the other hand, Sattar also suspended party leaders who took part in the “illegal” meeting where it was decided to suspend Kamran Tessori from the party’s central decision-making body. Tessori’s party membership was also revoked for six months.

Sattar also cancelled all decisions made by the suspended leaders and pledged to hold the party workers meeting scheduled to be held Tuesday evening.