Karachi: Provincial parliamentarians of Pakistan’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday resolved not to resign from office, and called upon state institutions to transform their outlook and policy towards the party.
The decision was taken at the Sindh assembly.
Dozens of MQM lawmakers gathered to consider a response to the demand that they resign, made by the party’s founding leader, with whom they have fallen out over his controversial anti-Pakistan remarks.
Altaf Hussain, the self-exiled leader of MQM who lives in London, made the demand after the local party leadership decided to part ways with him and others over the controversial speech on August 22, in which he also incited party workers to attack media houses.
Khawaja Izharul Hasan, the opposition leader in the assembly, told journalists the meeting was convened to decide whether they should resign or continue with their responsibilities as the members of parliament.
“Our mandate is for those who believe in Pakistan Zindabad (long live Pakistan),” Hasan said, without referring to Hussain’s anti-Pakistan slogans.
Hussain’s speech imperilled the position of MQM, which was already facing a three-year-old crackdown by law enforcement agencies against its workers, who were allegedly involved in street crime and assassinations.
Hasan said 35 lawmakers attended the meeting and they all unanimously decided to continue with their present positions.
Hasan further said 11 parliamentarians were outside the country and they also expressed their full confidence in the Pakistani leadership.
The opposition leader also vowed to launch a campaign for the recovery of the party’s 135 missing workers, who were allegedly picked up by law enforcement agencies during the operation.
He said they would raise their voice at every forum to demand the release of the missing members.
Meanwhile, the standing committee on human rights in the Senate, or upper house of parliament, met here to review the case of the missing persons as well as general rights of citizens.
The committee expressed its disappointment over the absence of the Paramilitary Rangers as well as provincial police chief at the meeting.
Senator Nasreen Jalil, the chairman of the committee told journalists after the meeting that the committee was very much concerned about the no-show by the two officials at the meeting.
However, on behalf of the Rangers, Brigadier Khurram Shahzad, appeared to the meeting and explained their position about the missing persons.
He told the committee that there were several cases in which people were missing because of the political rivalries. There were some cases of kidnapping, he added.
The Rangers official said that many missing persons were in hiding as well.
To substantiate his claim the brigadier also claimed at the meeting that a message by Hussain was circulated last evening in which he is allegedly heard advising his workers to go into hiding.
