KARACHI: Recent meetings of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London convener Nadeem Nusrat with some US lawmakers known for their hawkish stance against Pakistan have irked the MQM-Pakistan leadership here as it condemned the engagements, saying such activities are not in the interest of the Mohajir community.

London-based Mr Nusrat had recently visited the US and met Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at an annual dinner of the Thomas Jefferson Institute. Then on June 26 he met Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in Washington DC and the next day he held a meeting with Congressman Ted Poe in the presence of Mr Rohrabacher.

Both Mr Rohrabacher and Mr Poe, the two Republican congressmen, are known for their anti-Pakistan views and they have recently demanded that the US stop selling weapons to Pakistan and declare it a state sponsor of terrorism.

Sattar condemns Nusrat’s ‘anti-Pakistan activities’ during the latter’s visit to Washington

A press releases posted on the MQM-London’s website — which is still blocked in Pakistan after party founder Altaf Hussain’s incendiary speech on Aug 22, 2016 — said that Mr Nusrat discussed with the US congressmen “Pakistan’s policies towards Mohajirs and other ethnic folks in minority” and “the ongoing operation, extrajudicial killings of MQM workers and torture on MQM workers to force them to join the PSP and PIB factions”.

Following the Aug 22 speech of Mr Hussain, the MQM was divided into two groups — one is being run from London and the other is being led by Dr Farooq Sattar in Pakistan.

In response to Mr Nusrat’s activities in the US, initially Dr Sattar, head of the MQM-Pakistan, had on Wednesday issued a statement in which he expressed concerns over Mr Nusrat’s meeting with the anti-Pakistan lobby and condemned the allegations levelled by Mr Hussain in his recent audio messages against the Inter-Services Intelligence.

As if the statement was not enough, Dr Sattar on Friday held a press conference and condemned Mr Nusrat’s “anti-Pakistan activities” which he said aimed at destabilising the country and harming the national security.

“They can do in their own name whatever they want...but we will not allow them to do such acts in the name of Mohajirs,” Dr Sattar said. “The audio statements coming from London and Nadeem Nusrat’s activities are in no way in the interest of Mohajirs and [such activities] do not reflect their [Mohajirs’] aspirations.”

Dr Sattar, who had previously visited the US and met influential lawmakers there on behalf of the MQM founder, questioned as to why Senator McCain and Congressman Rohrabacher did not raise their voice against the disappearance of our workers before Aug 22. He wondered why Mr Nusrat did not meet the American legislators before Aug 22 when anti-Pakistan slogans were chanted.

Accompanied by senior leader Aamir Khan and others, he said the Mohajirs were struggling for their rights and despite fake cases, continued raids and arrests they did not have any hope with Dana Rohrabacher and John McCain.

“I can say with authority that no Mohajir living in the urban areas of Sindh will support the attitude and language being used internationally against the armed forces and state institutions of Pakistan.”

He also criticised the MQM-London for boycotting the by-election on a provincial assembly constituency in Karachi (PS-114) and said it actually revealed an underhand dealing between the MQM- London and the Pakistan Peoples Party.

“We are coming with a counter-strategy to foil the anti-Pakistan and anti-Mohajir activities,” Dr Sattar said.

A statement posted on the MQM-London website said that the Pakistani establishment “is dictating Dr Sattar who is implementing their agenda like a puppet”.

“The MQM successfully raised the issue of genocide of Mohajirs on all international forums with overwhelming response, which has perplexed the military establishment and its intelligence agencies,” it said. “Today, Farooq Sattar proved himself as a spokesman for government agencies by levelling the shameful allegation of Pakistan enmity on MQM leadership.”

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2017