KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar made startling revelations over the role of his party’s faction now led by founder Altaf Hussain in the violent events of May 12, 2007, divisions within the party in the aftermath of August 22, 2016 episode and offers being made to him to abandon ship and join other political groups.
Sattar made these revelations in an interview to a television channel and said he had not made any contact with MQM-London and its chief Hussain, day after announcing to part ways with him in 2016.
“Nadeem Nusrat telephoned me and conveyed that MQM founder was seeking forgiveness over his speech and asked me to share his apology during the presser on August 23,” Sattar said and added he however refused to share the apology saying that he has nothing to do with it now.
“Hussain’s brother-in-law Younus also wanted to meet me but I refused him,” he said and added had he made a contact with London then how it would be possible to hide it from the intelligence agencies.
He further shared that after parting ways with the London fraction of the party, some people wanted to make him a dummy head in a similar way Khalid Maqbool is acting these days.
“However, I refused and it resulted in all of them turning against me,” he said and regretted that this was the prize these party leaders gave him for rescuing them after the August 22 episode.
He further shared that local bodies tenure during Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui’s era was among the worst local government tenure for the party and blamed that MQM-P became a B-team of PPP in indulging in corrupt practices during that period.
Speaking on violent acts committed by the party, Sattar said it should be determined if an armed wing was established by the party itself or there were some youngsters who were doing it on their own.
Sharing details on offers being made to him for joining from multiple parties, Sattar said that PML-N offered him to join the party with a better package while offers were also made from PPP and PTI.
“However I decided against them and turned down their requests,” he said.
Opening up regarding violent acts on May 12, 2007, the ex-MQM leader said all parties were involved in the violent acts on the day.
He, however, admitted that MQM should not have taken out a rally on the day and even the coordination committee tried to persuade the party’s founder over it, however, he refused to pay heed and said that the rally should be taken out at any cost.
