KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar on Thursday night announced that he is quitting politics respectfully.While addressing a news conference, Farooq Sattar announced that he will visit Shuhada Qubristan on Saturday after the culmination of Chehlum and nobody can stop him from going there. “I want to announced that I am distancing myself from MQM-P and politics on the occasion of Chehlum of martyrs of Karbala,” he said as he left for his home. The MQM leader said that he won’t take back his resignation.”People on social media may call it a drama, but let me assure that I won’t take back my decision.”MQM leaders and workers surrounded Dr Farooq Sattar and pleaded with him to reconsider his decision to quit the party and politics.Earlier, he slammed PSP Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal for his impassioned speech and ‘engineered politics’ stating that MQM was here to stay and the party was going nowhere.The press conference was conducted after hours of drama which included a high-level meeting of the senior leadership of MQM that reposed their confidence in Sattar’s leadership but vowed to contest elections with the same election symbol, manifesto and name.”MQM is here to stay and is going nowhere,” he said, as supporters cheered on.Farooq Sattar slammed Syed Mustafa Kamal for saying at the joint presser that no dialogue can be held with MQM.”With me sitting by your side, who were you referring to when you said that no dialogue can be held with MQM?” he asked. “Who are we then if not MQM?”Farooq Sattar advised the PSP chief not to go so far in his enmity with Altaf Hussain and MQM-London leadership that he winds up insulting the Mohajir community.”You had a grudge against Altaf Hussain and MQM-London,” he said. “Don’t go so far in it so that you end up insulting people who belong to the Mohajir community,” he said.He reminded the people of his credentials as a senior politician and someone who had been fighting for the rights of Mohajirs since more than 30 years.”In 1992 when the armed forces took action against our political party, I did not run away from the country but stayed in Pakistan,” he said.The MQM-Pakistan chief voiced his displeasure that he was not allowed to go and pray for the ‘Shaheeds’ who had given their lives for MQM and Pakistan.”No one can stop me from going to their graves,” he said. “I have decided to go there and no one can stop me. Insha Allah, I know I have the support of the people of Karachi in this matter,” he added.Farooq Sattar slammed Mustafa Kamal for saying that he would not indulge in the politics of Mohajirs but would commit to national politics.”We cannot afford to ignore those who were responsible for the creation of Pakistan,” he said to loud cheers and slogans from the supporters gathered.The MQM-Pakistan chief spoke highly of his party’s recent mammoth gathering in Karachi, stating that what was to come in the upcoming elections had been demonstrated by the masses who partook in the rally.”Even people from the print media admitted that this was the biggest political rally they had seen in Karachi ever,” he said.Farooq Sattar criticised Syed Mustafa Kamal for saying during yesterday’s joint presser that he and the MQM-Pakistan chief travelled in Land Cruisers.”Mustafa Kamal bhai should also tell people that I own a Land Cruiser 2006 model and he should tell everyone about the Land Cruiser model that he travels in,” he said.Sattar urged Mustafa Kamal to clarify as to how he acquired the expensive house he had taken up residence in at Khayaban-e-Seher.”I have never used my political influence to achieve a personal agenda,” he said.Farooq Sattar challenged Mustafa Kamal to win seats from other parts of the country if he claimed to represent national politics.”I’ll recognise you as a national political party when you win seats from Larkana or Lahore,” he said. “PML-N is the largest political party in the country and they too failed to win a single seat in Karachi,” he added.Farooq Sattar said that he was not happy with the Rabita Committee who had used social media and other channels to voice their reservations over his choices.”If you want to voice reservations, sit with me in party meeting and then discuss them rather than talk about it on social media,” he said.
