MQM backs out of Qadri march

M o h a m m a d A s h r a f

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement ( MQM) on Friday withdrew its support to the ‘ long march’ of Tahirul Qadri amid a shocking wave of terrorism across the country and cross border escalations, a senior leader of the party said.

Dr Farooq Satter, the deputy chief of MQM in a press conference at Governor House said his party would support the cleric morally, though practically it would stay away from January 14 march.

The move took many analysts aback as, until late on Thursday night, the MQM remained stuck to its pledge of carrying long march along with Qadri’s Minhajuls Quran Tehreek, but they called it a day on Friday.

On Thursday, the MQM chief- in- exile, Altaf Hussain, delivered a long speech at the party headquarters strengthening his pledge to march towards Islamabad with Qadri to bring in reforms to change the obsolete parliamentarian systems that ensures rule of feudal and elites.

“We would participate in the long march at any cost,” Hussain told his workers on telephone that was connected to huge speakers.

He also justified his party position to join the march being an ally to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.

“In which book is it written that an ally to the government could not participate in the march?” Hussain said and added “When the government goes for some undesirable actions, its allies have rights to set them correct.”

A late night meeting was also held in which all the allies of the PPP government, including MQM, at the Bilawal House, where President Asif Ali Zardari headed the meeting.

Even that meeting could not convince the MQM leadership to calling off its support to the Qadri’s march.

Tahirul Qadri, the chief of Minhajul Quran Tehreek, yesterday vowed to carry his long march towards Islamabad on January 14.