Election Commission removes Farooq Sattar as MQM-P chief

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday removed Farooq Sattar as the convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Headed by the Chief Election Commissioner a five-member bench allowed petitions of MQM Bahadurabad leaders – Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Kanwar Naveed Jameel – through which they challenged Feb 18 intra-party elections of the Sattar-led MQM-P group.

The bench also rejected Sattar’s application questioning the jurisdiction of the commission in intra-party matters.

Sattar through his counsel argued that the electoral body lacked authority to intervene in intra-party conflicts, requesting it to dismiss the petitions.

Barrister Faroogh Naseem, who represented the Bahadurabad group, argued that the commission was not a post office and had jurisdiction to decide intra-party conflicts.

The bench had earlier reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.

Internal rifts within the MQM-P are said to be brewing since the start of this year, but they became much more evident, making headlines when the party virtually split into two factions – Dr Sattar-led PIB and Amir Khan-led Bahadurabad, over the issue of party tickets for the recently-held Senate elections.

As a result, Bahadurabad removed Farooq Sattar as party chief for “violating its constitution and overstepping his authority”.

Afterwards, in a tit for tat move Sattar dissolved the Rabita Committee and announced to hold intra-party elections to elect new party head.

On Feb 19,  the elections were held at KMC Ground in PIB Colony, in which Sattar was re-elected as party convener after securing 9, 500 out of around 12,000 votes cast in the polls.

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