KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Wednesday claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government offered him a party ticket to contest by-elections from NA-247.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he said: “PTI has offered me to join the party and contest the by-polls in NA-247 from Arif Alvi’s seat.”
He claimed that “mutual friends” in the ruling party have invited him to contest the election in the constituency.
In General Elections 2018, Sattar had lost to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founding member, Arif Alvi in the constituency. However, Alvi resigned from his National Assembly (NA) seat upon being elected as the President of Pakistan.
“Alvi defeated me during the July 25 election. Now I hope he works for the betterment of Karachi.”
He reflected on MQM’s hegemony in the province, “MQM-P is an important party for the people of Sindh.”
“The party plays an important part in solving problems of the residents of the province,” Sattar added.
Sattar revealed that he was not kept in confidence of several party decisions and chose not to partake in some by his own choice.
Referring to former parliamentarian Syed Ali Raza Abidi’s resignation from the party, he said, “Whatever happened I was not disheartened but Ali Raza Abidi was disheartened and he resigned from the party.”
He added, “There is still time for MQM-P to correct their mistakes and compensate for the mistakes made.”
Earlier, MQM-P member Syed Ali Raza Abidi had tendered in his resignation to the party citing personal reasons as his motivation to do so.
However, local media outlets had suggested that the party’s key decisions regarding nominations for the upcoming by-elections did not sit well with Abidi.