KARACHI: In what appeared to be an attempt to deflect attention from its organisational weaknesses and defections, a beleaguered Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan went into defiance mode on Wednesday and announced it would hold its planned protest rally on Nov 5 despite the refusal of the Sindh government to grant it permission.

On Oct 22, the MQM-P had announced that it would hold a rally on Nov 5 outside the Quaid’s mausoleum against the provisional results of the sixth population census in which it alleged that the population of Karachi was deliberately manipulated.

On Wednesday, party head Dr Farooq Sattar told a press conference that the administration refused to grant permission to the party on the pretext that the MQM’s event was going to be held in Karachi’s East district, where authorities had already issued a no-objection certificate to the newly formed Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) to hold a rally on a different issue.

Accompanied by Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Kanwar Naveed and others, Dr Sattar also used the occasion to reject what he called a smear campaign by certain TV channels, anchorpersons and London-based Sarfaraz Merchant against party leaders Amir Khan, Kamran Tessori and the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation, the party’s charity wing.

Sarfaraz Merchant blamed for criminal activities in Karachi

However, against the backdrop of the recent defection of Karachi Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, he did not speak about his previous announcement in which he had threatened to quit assemblies if any of its lawmaker switched loyalties.

About the planned rally, he said the MQM had submitted an application seeking permission for holding the Nov 5 rally on Oct 23, but they were denied permission because of the GDA rally. “I believe a political and democratic government is stopping us from exercising our democratic right which is unfair.”

He said the MQM-P might change the venue but it would not change the date and timing of its rally. He said that the administration and police were not accepting the party offer to change the venue and they were removing banners in different city areas.

“The police and administration are removing our party flags saying nobody is allowed to put up flags on electric poles,” he said, adding that the flags of the Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan Peoples Party were fluttering on the same poles and the police were not removing them.

Dr Sattar said that already there was an unannounced ban on political activities of the MQM and now it was being deprived of its due space in Karachi.

He declared that despite all obstacles the party would hold a protest rally either on Shahrah-i-Quaideen or at Liaquatabad No. 10.

Sarfaraz Merchant’s role questioned

Dr Sattar questioned the role of Sarfaraz Merchant, on whose statement the Federal Investigation Agency had registered a money laundering case, and described him as the central character behind every illegal and criminal activity in Karachi.

He said the FIR did not include names of any MQM leader, but the FIA associated Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, MNA Khwaja Sohail Mansoor, former senator Ahmed Ali and others in the investigation. “I reject all allegations as none of them has had any connection with money laundering.”

He said he also received a letter addressed to the president of the MQM, but the party had no post of president.

He said Mr Merchant was involved in every crime and land grabbing in Karachi and the apex court should investigate whether he sent “proceeds of crime” abroad. “We do not know whether Sarfaraz Merchant sent the ill-gotten money to Dubai, sold his company and then the money was sent to India.”

He said that his party had no link with the MQM-London, Altaf Hussain or Sarfaraz Merchant.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2017