MQM-P splinter group files complaint against intra-party election with ECP

 

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Bahadurabad faction filed a complaint against the recently conducted intra-party elections by the Farooq Sattar-led splinter group (PIB faction) with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) here on Tuesday.

The complaint, filed by Farogh Naseem, demands the intra-party elections to be declared void.

A notice to appear before the ECP on February 27 was issued to the party's PIB faction after the filing of the complaint. 

Sattar elected as convener in intra-party elections

MQM-P's PIB faction on Sunday elected Dr Farooq Sattar as its convener.

Sattar, who was deposed by the Rabita Committee Sattar on February 11, secured 9,433 votes in the intra-party polls held in Karachi and Hyderabad.

The Bahadurabad group, however, termed the elections illegal and alleged that they were a 'condemnable effort to divide loyal party workers.'

MQM-P's PIB faction elects Farooq Sattar as convener

Newly elected Rabita Committee to appoint deputy conveners today

"The Rabita Committee, alone, can make policy decisions," a statement issued by the splinter group had said.

Speaking to workers at KMC Ground, Sattar had said the elections were not just polls but a referendum. "A decision has been made that Rabita Committee and [party] constitution exist as long as there are workers too, and if there is no worker, then there's no Rabita Committee."

Sattar had said that Sunday's referendum will put an end to a feudal, authoritarian mindset in the party.

Infighting between MQM-P leaders

The infighting between MQM-P's two factions — Sattar-led PIB and Rabita Committee-led Bahadurabad — started over the issue of distribution of party tickets for next month's Senate elections. The latter had strongly opposed Sattar's nomination of the relative newcomer Kamran Tessori over seasoned party leaders.

Sattar, on February 11, had announced the decision to dissolve the party's Rabita Committee during a general workers' meeting, hours after members of the coordination committee at the party's Bahadurabad office said he was no longer the convener of the party.