Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Bahali Committee (MQM-BC) chief Farooq Sattar has called for reconciliation among different Muhajir political groups, saying they need to sit together and work out a common way forward.
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Sattar said the electoral results in NA-240 and the first phase of the Sindh local government elections were distressing for his political group.
He alleged that ballot boxes were taken away during polling and claimed that rigging contributed to the MQM’s electoral losses. He also said the party’s traditional voters were either disappointed with the political situation or had shifted their support to other parties.
Farooq Sattar Calls for MQM Factions to Reconcile
The MQM veteran said all groups representing Muhajirs would have to reconcile and sit together, arguing that there was no other way to address the political challenges facing the community.
Sattar said he had been attempting to meet MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to discuss a possible way forward but had so far been unsuccessful.
He urged Siddiqui to hold a meeting with him to discuss the political situation and issues affecting Karachi.
Sattar Raises Concern Over NA-240 Turnout
Sattar also expressed concern over the low voter turnout recorded in the NA-240 by-election.
He compared the turnout with the MQM’s electoral performance in the constituency in 2018 and said the sharp decline in participation was a matter of concern.
The 2022 NA-240 by-election was marked by low turnout, clashes and complaints of irregularities. MQM-P candidate Mohammad Abubakar won the contest with 10,683 votes, defeating TLP candidate Shehzada Shahbaz by just 65 votes, according to contemporary unofficial results reported by Dawn.
Sattar Wants Meeting With Khalid Maqbool
Sattar said the different MQM factions should put aside their differences and work together on issues affecting Karachi.
He specifically called on Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to meet him and discuss solutions to the problems facing the city’s residents.
He said Karachi’s population requires political representatives who can collectively address issues affecting the city’s approximately 40 million people, according to his statement.
Efforts to bring different MQM factions closer have been reported periodically over the years. In 2023, Sattar and other MQM leaders were involved in efforts aimed at bringing various groups together, while MQM-P later became a unified platform incorporating Sattar and other former factions.
