KARACHI: MQM has acknowledged that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf is their ideological ally but there is no electoral alliance or seat adjustment with his All Pakistan Muslim League.
Dr. Farooq Sattar said Musharraf might be a dictator but he has a right to go to the people on the basis of economic performance during his tenure.
Asked why MQM‚ which claims to be a democratic party‚ supports Musharraf‚ he said MQM has good relations and friendship with him. He said Musharraf wants a seat from Karachi but MQM is telling him that he has‚ any way‚ friends in Karachi and he should contest from some other place.
To a question he said MQM has fielded its candidates in different parts of the country and it would give better results in urban Sindh in the coming elections.
He said MQM does practical politics and that is why PPP leaders including Nabeel Gabol and Fehmida Shah have joined the party. Those joining the party are convinced that they would get same respect as they got in PPP during lifetime of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Asked whether those joining MQM were doing so because of attraction of the party or disillusionment from their own party‚ Sattar said people like Nabeel Gabol believe that it is MQM that is translating the slogan of ‘Roti‚ Kaprra aur Makan’. He said it is because of practical politics of the party that MQM flag is now seen even in Nawabshah and Jacobabad.
When asked the reason behind frequent threats hurled by MQM during the last year for leaving the coalition government‚ he said they have been protesting against injustice. He said just 30 billion rupees were spent on development in urban Sindh in five years as compared to 670 billion spent in PPP constituencies but the results are nowhere visible.
He said MQM supported PPP for the sake of democratic‚ political and economic stability and to tackle challenges of terrorism and law and order.
Replying to a question Dr. Farooq Sattar rejected the impression that there were autocratic trends in MQM and said discipline witnessed in the public meetings of the party is reflective of the confidence of the people in MQM.
