Karachi: Another Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) stalwart on Monday announced his dissociation from the party and called on party founder Altaf Hussain to quit.

Anis Ahmad, known as Advocate, who has been associated with the MQM for 32 years, held a press conference here to join the newly formed party of MQM defectors led by Mustafa Kamal and Anis Kaimkhani, who were once the blue-eyed boys of Hussain.

“Altaf Hussain has been off the track now and he is not able to lead the ‘Mohajir’ nation,” Ahmad said.

He said his conscience remained in slumber for long but he drew strength from the defection of Kamal and Kaimkhani who broke the ice and spoke their heart fearlessly.

Ahmad, who was considered a very close aide to Hussain, who has been living in London for 24 years in self imposed exile, said the disclosures of party rebels were not new to him as he knew all the things but remained indifferent.

But the courage of the two earlier defectors inspired him to join the new party.

“I had a hunch that one day the people would unlock their tongue to speak out and I pay them tribute for that,” he said.

He said the MQM chief needed medical treatment (for his being allegedly alcoholic)

Addressing Hussain, without taking his name, Ahmad said he should understand now that he could not lead the Mohajir nation. Rather “you had pushed the nation between the devil and the deep sea”, he said.

Ahmad vowed to work for the well-being of the country as a patriot.

Wasay Jalil, the MQM spokesman, who is currently living in London, in his tweet termed the press conference as ‘nothing more than a ‘film’

Meanwhile, paramilitary Rangers arrested Shahid Pasha, the deputy convener of the MQM from an apartment in the Gulisthane Jauhar neighbourhood.

Later Pasha was produced in a court that remanded him to 90 days in custody. The Rangers claimed Pasha was arrested for his direct involvement in the killings and other criminal activities in the city.

The coordination committee, meanwhile, condemned the killings of two party workers whose bodies were found dumped at a deserted place in Korangi district. The party said five of the workers were picked up by hooded “officials” some four months back.

Both the workers were tortured before they were shot in the head.

In a statement issued by the paramilitary forces, Major-General Bilal Akbar, the Rangers chief, told a delegation the current operation was not aimed at any specific political party or group but was against outlaws and would continue until it met its ultimate targets.