KARACHI: Although the Bahadurabad group of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan publicly maintained that it was ready to accept Dr Farooq Sattar as the convener of the party if he resumed the Bahadurabad office, it appears that the Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui-led faction is unwilling to see the seasoned politician back in the driving seat, it emerged on Saturday.

Differences between the two sides have reached an extent that the Bahadurabad group did not even invite Dr Sattar to their Iftar party held on Friday.

The programme was attended by Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair, politicians belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, PML-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and others, but Dr Sattar and the leadership of the Pak Sarzameen Party were nowhere to be seen.

Even Shahi Syed of the Awami National Party, once considered a nemesis to the MQM, and Mohajir Ittehad Tehreek’s Dr Saleem Haider were in attendance.

But, Dr Siddiqui gave the impression at the Iftar dinner that Dr Sattar was invited as he told the media that everyone was waiting for him.

Dr Sattar, however, accused Dr Siddiqui of lying and told the media on Saturday that he was not invited to the Iftar party by the Bahadurabad group.

He said he was trying his best for unity, but Dr Siddiqui had backtracked from his earlier offer. “I am ready to return on the pre-Feb 5 conditions,” he said.

Party control to rest with three persons

But, senior leader Amir Khan blamed Dr Sattar for the post-Feb 5 situation following which the MQM-P was divided into the PIB and Bahadurabad factions.

Talking to the media outside the antiterrorism courts here, he said the coordination committee had decided that no individual would enjoy absolute authority in the party. “The post of party convener, authority to grant election ticket and power to run organisational matters would rest with three different people,” he explained.

He said Dr Sattar wanted all three powers, but it was not possible for the party to give him absolute power.

When reminded of the election boycott call given by MQM founder Altaf Hussain, he said their boycott would make no impact here.

Meanwhile, MQM-P spokesperson Aminul Haq of the Bahadurabad group told Dawn that all “usual contacts were made to invite people to the Iftar” and many people from the PIB faction had also attended the event.

He named Waqar Hussain Shah, a former MPA who is currently associated with the PIB group, as one of the attendees.

He replied in the negative when asked if any Bahadurabad leader made specific contact with Dr Sattar to invite him to the event.

He, however, insisted that Dr Sattar was still a part of the MQM-P and the party was ready to accept him as convener of the coordination committee if he resumed office at the Bahadurabad headquarters.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2018