ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) agreed on Friday on formation of proposed ‘Grievances Redressal Committee’ (GRC) to address its concerns over the ongoing Rangers’ operation against terrorists and criminals in Karachi.

Following the MQM’s agreement on the committee, it is expected that the government-appointed mediator, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and some MQM leaders will meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday.

Also read: Fazl says govt and MQM both ready to reconcile

MQM leaders apprised the Maulana about their consent on the formation of the committee when the latter contacted them by telephone on Friday.

“MQM leaders informed Maulana Sahib that they have no objection on draft notification of GRC sent by the government to the MQM on Thursday,” JUI-F spokesman Jan Achakzai told Dawn while giving details of his party chief’s telephonic conversation with the MQM leaders.

He said it was expected that the government would issue the notification of the GRC in next 48 hours. The spokesman said the JUI-F chief had also contacted the prime minister and sought time for the meeting with MQM leaders on Saturday.

The draft notification approved by the MQM also carries terms of reference (TORs) of the proposed GRC that were discussed by the two sides during their marathon meetings held earlier this week in the federal capital.

Many attempts were made to contact Farooq Sattar, the head of MQM’s team negotiating with the government on the issue of resignation of the party’s legislators, but in vain.

MQM is the fourth largest party in the 342-seat National Assembly with 24 MNAs, third in the 104-seat Senate with eight members and second in the 168-seat Sindh Assembly with 51 members. All its legislators had submitted their resignations on Aug 12 as in protest against the alleged political victimisation of the party in Karachi by the Rangers.

Opposing the Rangers’ operation, MQM has claimed that 146 of its activists and workers had been missing since the launch of the operation two years ago whereas over 40 had been extra-judicially killed.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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