KARACHI: As the last date of withdrawal of Senate nomination papers is approaching fast, the group within the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan that recently ousted party head Dr Farooq Sattar made fresh attempts to lure the seasoned politician back in a bid to prevent impending electoral damage in the March 3 polls, it emerged on Wednesday.

Both factions of the MQM-P, commonly known as Bahadurabad group now led by newly-appointed convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and the PIB group led by Dr Sattar — have fielded their respective candidates for the Senate elections.

Friday (Feb 16) is the last day for candidates to withdraw their nomination papers and after this their names would appear on ballot papers.

Dr Sattar hopes issues would be resolved ‘amicably’

Senior MQM parliamentarian and coordination committee member Syed Sardar Ahmed, who is part of the Bahadurabad group, visited Dr Sattar’s PIB Colony residence and spent some time with him.

Dr Sattar later told media that Mr Ahmed came to see him to express concerns over the prevailing situation. He said he hoped that the issues would be amicably resolved.

Later, deputy convener Kanwar Naveed Jameel, also associated with the Bahadurabad group, confirmed that his party was still trying to persuade Dr Sattar.

He told media that the whole party had gone to meet Dr Sattar and “we will keep on visiting him to persuade him”.

He said he and his colleagues had told Dr Sattar that they would never cause a division just for the sake of four Senate seats. “So everyone is trying to convince him,” he added.

However, he said that holding intra-party elections was the responsibility of the party convener and Dr Sattar was no longer holding that post.

Also, MQM-P leader Faisal Subzwari posted his picture with Dr Sattar on social media on Valentine’s Day requesting him in Urdu to “come back”.

Both groups of the MQM-P have announced holding separate workers’ conventions in Nazimabad and PIB Colony later this week.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the MQM-P coordination committee led by convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui went to the Shuhada (martyrs’) graveyard in Azizabad to offer prayers at the graves of those workers and supporters killed over the years.

Talking to newsmen, Dr Siddiqui hoped that very soon the “Mohajir and Haq Parast” people of the country would get good news and the party would remain united.

To a question, he said that his party would ensure that its lawmakers would not fall prey to horse trading in the Senate elections.

In a separate development, the Dr Sattar-led group announced schedule for their intra-party election and also changed the date from Feb 17 to 18 (Sunday).

The date was changed to facilitate more workers to exercise their right to choose party leaders on their weekly holiday.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2018