ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers on Thursday submitted an application to the the Acting Speaker of the National Assembly for the withdrawal of their resignations.

“MQM lawmakers have submitted an application for withdrawal of their resignations,” said Gurmani, a spokesperson for the Parliament House.

The spokesperson also added that senior officers of the National Assembly Secretariat have also received the application submitted by MQM lawmakers.

Earlier in October, MQM had announced their decision to withdraw their resignations submitted earlier and rejoin the national and provincial assemblies and the Senate.

The party's decision was announced by MQM leader Farooq Sattar in a joint press conference also addressed by Federal Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between MQM and the government following a successful dialogue process between the two sides.

In September, MQM in an emergency press conference had announced its decision to withdraw from talks with the government once again, alleging that the government was not serious about the dialogue process.

The party had simultaneously resigned from the National Assembly, Senate and the Sindh Assembly in August over what it said were “excesses” committed by security forces against its workers and members during the Rangers-led operation in Karachi.

Following the party’s resignation from the three legislative floors, the government was reluctant in accepting the resignations and tasked JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to hold talks with MQM in an attempt to persuade the party to withdraw its resignations.

But talks broke down abruptly almost immediately after they began when an assassination attempt was made in Karachi on MQM MNA Rashid Godil, whose driver was killed in the gun attack. The attack had happened as Maulana was holding talks with an MQM delegation at Nine Zero in Karachi.

Subsequently, after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Karachi, MQM had announced it would not continue dialogue on the matter of resignations anymore, saying it will instead focus on relief work and the “creation of a new province.”

But the government, through Maulana Fazl, was able to break through yet again, convincing MQM to come back to negotiations. In a joint press conference with federal minister Ishaq Dar and an MQM delegation led by Farooq Sattar, Fazl announced that a grievances redressal committee would be formed to address all of MQM’s reservations.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar had also stated that the government’s nonserious attitude had pushed the party to withdraw from the dialogue process, adding that “in the current scenario dialogue is useless.”

Sattar said during dialogue with the government, MQM had raised three core issues: the ban on MQM’s political activities, relief activities and speeches of party chief Altaf Hussain.

Sattar was of the view that these issues were not up for discussion and had to be addressed by the federal government.

Farooq Sattar had demanded then that the government accept the resignations of MQM’s legislators.