KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader and former legislator Haider Abbas Rizvi said on Sunday that elements thinking of the MQM minus Altaf Hussain were living in a fool’s paradise.

Addressing a general workers’ meeting organised by the MQM, he said leaders, activists and supporters of the party had full faith in the leadership of Mr Hussain. They had neither accepted the minus-Altaf formula in the past nor would they accept it this time, he said, adding that the MQM had adopted a legal and constitutional course to improve the situation.

Mr Hussain was scheduled to address the workers but the plan was cancelled at the last moment.

Mr Rizvi urged workers to strengthen their unity and keep an eye on trouble-makers and conspirators so that their evil designs against the MQM and Altaf Hussain could be foiled.

MQM Coordination Committee leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said there was nothing new about conspiracies against the party and its leader Altaf Hussain. The MQM with the support of its supporters foiled such conspiracies in the past and will do it again.

He said that this time the conspiracies were being hatched by forces from abroad, adding that some forces were trying to discredit the MQM but they would not succeed.

Mr Siddiqui said the deteriorating law and order situation was forcing the old Karachiites to migrate to other areas.

He announced that the MQM would collect zakat and fitra during Ramazan to continue its social welfare work which was carried out throughout the year.

He asked the workers to keep an eye on the people who posed themselves as MQM activists and collected zakat and fitra even from non-Muslims and said that such activities discredited the party.