KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday dismissed the coordination committee, the apex decision making body of the party, on charges of inefficiency and invited fresh nominations to reform the body.

The coordination committee, that usually comprise of about two dozen senior party members, acts as an executive committee.

Hussain, who lives in London in self exile, announced to dissolve the London chapter of the committee too in a couple of days.

In a statement, the party said Hussain had called out for the new nomination to reform the committee.

The dismissal came at a crucial time when the party has been passing through difficult times as several of its senior leaders were arrested by the law enforcement agencies, while dozens of its party workers were also arrested, facing charges of murders and extortion.

Last week the paramilitary rangers raided the party headquarters and arrested the chief of the committee Kaiful Wara and former chief Qamar Mansouor. Wara was released by the forces but Mansoor remained in their custody in cases of murders and other criminal charges.

Hussain was not happy of the committee’s inept reaction on the arrests of the senior party leaders as well as its general tackling of the challenges, the party was faced with.

About a dozen senior leaders of the party who were the members of the committee, were also faced with cases registered against him for facilitating ‘hate-speeches’ against the country’s military establishment and inciting violence.

Over a hundred cases were registered against Hussain and the other leaders following his speech against the army and the Rangers.

Meanwhile, an anti terrorism court (ATC) adjourned hearing of the case against Amir Khan, a senior MQM leader, till August 25. Khan was arrested from the party headquarters in a Rangers raid in March. He was interrogated for more than three months and then formally charged in the case of sheltering terrorists.

Khan, talking to the press outside court said actions must be taken against the criminal elements in the MQM. However, he said that actions against the mohajir community in general was causing unrest and alienation. Majority of the MQM followers and supporters have been mohajirs or immigrants from India, who migrated to Pakistan in 1947.