KARACHI, March 1: Four senators from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had a five-hour meting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and his senior party colleagues in London on Thursday, says a press release issued by the MQM here on Thursday.

The Fata senators who called on Mr Hussain at the party's international secretariat are Engineer Rashid Ahmad of Landi Kotal and Pir Hafiz Abdul Malik Qadri of Bara in Khyber Agency, Abdul Razzak Afridi of Darra Adamkhel and Abdul Hamidullah Khan of Kurram Agency.

Mr Hussain supported the demand that reforms in Fata and other tribal areas should be carried out in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the local people.

Likewise, he said, elected representatives must be associated with development projects in Fata.

Those representing the MQM at the meeting included convener of the party’s coordination committee Dr Imran Farooq, senior deputy convener Tariq Javed, members Saleem Shahzad, Tariq Mir, Javed Kazmi, Mohammad Ashfaq, Mustafa Azizabadi, Asif Siddiqi, and federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri.

The meeting discussed the overall situation in the country.

The Fata representatives apprised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief of the situation in their areas and the planned reforms.

The MQM chief stressed that all citizens must be given equal rights and there should be no discrimination.

He told the senators that the MQM respected the wishes and aspirations of the people of Fata.

“The MQM is striving for the establishment of an egalitarian society in Pakistan where people of all regions will be treated equally, with justice. Only then, the country will become strong and prosperous,” he said.