KARACHI - Another Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, Raza Haroon, has joined hands with Mustafa Kamal. The new addition to Kamal’s nameless party brings the number of key MQM-dissociated men to six. He arrived in Karachi yesterday ahead of Kamal’s third key press conference and was warmly welcome by the former city mayor at his residence. Raza Haroon told the media that Kamal took a ‘brave step and proved his patriotism’, in presence of other MQM rebels – Anis Qaimkhani, Waseem Aftab, Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Iftikhar Alam. Rapping his ex-party chief Altaf Hussain, Raza said the MQM was not established to ‘worship a single person’. He also blamed MQM chief for breaking his promises and spoiling the struggle the party came into being for. “Mohajirs are patriots but anti-state policies of party chief ended up with the label of RAW agents,” Raza regretted. He said all provincial assemblies passed resolution against the MQM chief’s speeches, called for initiating treason case against him and no leader wanted to pursue case against his speeches in Lahore High Court. “Now it is the responsibility of state to probe MQM links with RAW and takes immediate action, ” he said and questioned as to why the party leadership did not lodge a case against BBC for airing the report of Indian funding (to the leadership). Referring to Altaf’s alleged use of intoxicants, Haroon said: “Sometimes we had happy hour and then that happy hour became happy 24 hours. The happy hour was followed by apologies from the entire community and the party.” About much-talked minus-Altaf formula, he said there was no need of hatching any conspiracy against the MQM chief from the outside as he (Altaf) himself was destroying his position. “You are enough of a conspirator against your own self; you do not need anyone to conspire against you.” Talking about a statement given by MQM worker Tariq Mir to the London Metropolitan Police, Raza said that only four people in the MQM knew about the party links with RAW while Mir did not gave the statement under any pressure. To a question about his absence from politics, Raza said he visited Altaf and asked questions but after the money laundering case, he stopped doing so. Speaking on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal said that “I welcome Raza Haroon in my party as he has come here to join us. We all welcome him on behalf of all Pakistanis.” Kamal told the media that he was focusing on strengthening the party. However, he said the party name would be announced on March 23. He rejected the rumours that his group was working on a ‘script’. “We are not here to occupy any of the party offices (of MQM). For the past 11 days, a number of people have been contacting us. Had we contacted any MQM bigwig, the number of our party members would have swelled to 15,” he claimed. He said that his message was clear – public service without any discrimination. “Our message is not only for Mohajirs but for all the oppressed people of the country.” Raza Haroon joined the MQM in year 1987 and moved to London in 1994 during the operation of 90s. After spending 13 years aboard he returned county in 2007 and won the provincial assembly seat on an MQM ticket in the 2008 general election. He served as Sindh IT minister in 2009. He was added to the MQM decision-making body and later was removed from coordination committee by Altaf in 2013. He was among the leaders who were manhandled at Nine-Zero by the MQM workers during an Altaf address, since then he remained off the scene and occasionally paid visits to party international secretariat London. Reacting on the departure of Raza Haroon from the party, MQM senior deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar has said that leaving of the leaders is not going to dent his party. Talking to the media yesterday, Sattar termed MQM ‘an ocean’ and added that separation of some drops cannot empty the ocean. Leaving of Kamal, Haroon or anyone else is not going to affect the progress of party; however, if there were some problems in the party, efforts should be made to fix those, he added. Published in The Nation newspaper on 15-Mar-2016
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
News, Pakistan
KARACHI - Another Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, Raza Haroon, has joined hands with Mustafa Kamal. The new addition to Kamal’s nameless party brings the number of key MQM-dissociated men to six. He arrived in Karachi yesterday ahead of Kamal’s third key press conference and was warmly welcome by the former city mayor at his residence. Raza Haroon told the media that Kamal took a ‘brave step and proved his patriotism’, in presence of other MQM rebels – Anis Qaimkhani, Waseem Aftab, Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Iftikhar Alam. Rapping his ex-party chief Altaf Hussain, Raza said the MQM was not established to ‘worship a single person’. He also blamed MQM chief for breaking his promises and spoiling the struggle the party came into being for. “Mohajirs are patriots but anti-state policies of party chief ended up with the label of RAW agents,” Raza regretted. He said all provincial assemblies passed resolution against the MQM chief’s speeches, called for initiating treason case against him and no leader wanted to pursue case against his speeches in Lahore High Court. “Now it is the responsibility of state to probe MQM links with RAW and takes immediate action, ” he said and questioned as to why the party leadership did not lodge a case against BBC for airing the report of Indian funding (to the leadership). Referring to Altaf’s alleged use of intoxicants, Haroon said: “Sometimes we had happy hour and then that happy hour became happy 24 hours. The happy hour was followed by apologies from the entire community and the party.” About much-talked minus-Altaf formula, he said there was no need of hatching any conspiracy against the MQM chief from the outside as he (Altaf) himself was destroying his position. “You are enough of a conspirator against your own self; you do not need anyone to conspire against you.” Talking about a statement given by MQM worker Tariq Mir to the London Metropolitan Police, Raza said that only four people in the MQM knew about the party links with RAW while Mir did not gave the statement under any pressure. To a question about his absence from politics, Raza said he visited Altaf and asked questions but after the money laundering case, he stopped doing so. Speaking on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal said that “I welcome Raza Haroon in my party as he has come here to join us. We all welcome him on behalf of all Pakistanis.” Kamal told the media that he was focusing on strengthening the party. However, he said the party name would be announced on March 23. He rejected the rumours that his group was working on a ‘script’. “We are not here to occupy any of the party offices (of MQM). For the past 11 days, a number of people have been contacting us. Had we contacted any MQM bigwig, the number of our party members would have swelled to 15,” he claimed. He said that his message was clear – public service without any discrimination. “Our message is not only for Mohajirs but for all the oppressed people of the country.” Raza Haroon joined the MQM in year 1987 and moved to London in 1994 during the operation of 90s. After spending 13 years aboard he returned county in 2007 and won the provincial assembly seat on an MQM ticket in the 2008 general election. He served as Sindh IT minister in 2009. He was added to the MQM decision-making body and later was removed from coordination committee by Altaf in 2013. He was among the leaders who were manhandled at Nine-Zero by the MQM workers during an Altaf address, since then he remained off the scene and occasionally paid visits to party international secretariat London. Reacting on the departure of Raza Haroon from the party, MQM senior deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar has said that leaving of the leaders is not going to dent his party. Talking to the media yesterday, Sattar termed MQM ‘an ocean’ and added that separation of some drops cannot empty the ocean. Leaving of Kamal, Haroon or anyone else is not going to affect the progress of party; however, if there were some problems in the party, efforts should be made to fix those, he added. Published in The Nation newspaper on 15-Mar-2016
Farooq Sattar is With Mustafa Kamal leaving Altaf Hussain
KARACHI - Another Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, Raza Haroon, has joined hands with Mustafa Kamal. The new addition to Kamal’s nameless party brings the number of key MQM-dissociated men to six. He arrived in Karachi yesterday ahead of Kamal’s third key press conference and was warmly welcome by the former city mayor at his residence. Raza Haroon told the media that Kamal took a ‘brave step and proved his patriotism’, in presence of other MQM rebels – Anis Qaimkhani, Waseem Aftab, Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Iftikhar Alam. Rapping his ex-party chief Altaf Hussain, Raza said the MQM was not established to ‘worship a single person’. He also blamed MQM chief for breaking his promises and spoiling the struggle the party came into being for. “Mohajirs are patriots but anti-state policies of party chief ended up with the label of RAW agents,” Raza regretted. He said all provincial assemblies passed resolution against the MQM chief’s speeches, called for initiating treason case against him and no leader wanted to pursue case against his speeches in Lahore High Court. “Now it is the responsibility of state to probe MQM links with RAW and takes immediate action, ” he said and questioned as to why the party leadership did not lodge a case against BBC for airing the report of Indian funding (to the leadership). Referring to Altaf’s alleged use of intoxicants, Haroon said: “Sometimes we had happy hour and then that happy hour became happy 24 hours. The happy hour was followed by apologies from the entire community and the party.” About much-talked minus-Altaf formula, he said there was no need of hatching any conspiracy against the MQM chief from the outside as he (Altaf) himself was destroying his position. “You are enough of a conspirator against your own self; you do not need anyone to conspire against you.” Talking about a statement given by MQM worker Tariq Mir to the London Metropolitan Police, Raza said that only four people in the MQM knew about the party links with RAW while Mir did not gave the statement under any pressure. To a question about his absence from politics, Raza said he visited Altaf and asked questions but after the money laundering case, he stopped doing so. Speaking on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal said that “I welcome Raza Haroon in my party as he has come here to join us. We all welcome him on behalf of all Pakistanis.” Kamal told the media that he was focusing on strengthening the party. However, he said the party name would be announced on March 23. He rejected the rumours that his group was working on a ‘script’. “We are not here to occupy any of the party offices (of MQM). For the past 11 days, a number of people have been contacting us. Had we contacted any MQM bigwig, the number of our party members would have swelled to 15,” he claimed. He said that his message was clear – public service without any discrimination. “Our message is not only for Mohajirs but for all the oppressed people of the country.” Raza Haroon joined the MQM in year 1987 and moved to London in 1994 during the operation of 90s. After spending 13 years aboard he returned county in 2007 and won the provincial assembly seat on an MQM ticket in the 2008 general election. He served as Sindh IT minister in 2009. He was added to the MQM decision-making body and later was removed from coordination committee by Altaf in 2013. He was among the leaders who were manhandled at Nine-Zero by the MQM workers during an Altaf address, since then he remained off the scene and occasionally paid visits to party international secretariat London. Reacting on the departure of Raza Haroon from the party, MQM senior deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar has said that leaving of the leaders is not going to dent his party. Talking to the media yesterday, Sattar termed MQM ‘an ocean’ and added that separation of some drops cannot empty the ocean. Leaving of Kamal, Haroon or anyone else is not going to affect the progress of party; however, if there were some problems in the party, efforts should be made to fix those, he added. Published in The Nation newspaper on 15-Mar-2016
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