KARACHI: While some elements within the Bahadurabad and PIB groups of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan have been trying to persuade both the factions to hold a joint public meeting in Liaquatabad on May 5, Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed jumped into the political fray on Wednesday by inviting the two MQM-P groups to his public meeting scheduled to be held on May 6.

The PIB group is going to hold a public meeting at Liaquatabad’s Tanki Ground on May 4 and the Bahadurabad group has announced its rally for May 5 at the same venue.

On Tuesday, Dr Farooq Sattar of the PIB group told residents of Liaquatabad that he, too, wanted to hold a joint public meeting and for this, he left the decision to Bahadurabad convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to decide the date and time.

Haqiqi delegation meets leaders of both factions

On Wednesday, Dr Siddiqui told reporters that his group also wanted to take Dr Sattar along and efforts were being made to hold a public meeting jointly on May 5.

He said he and Dr Sattar made contact twice today and “we want him to come to the May 5 public meeting. We will sort out all other matters later”.

Some Bahadurabad group leaders also met Dr Sattar at his residence and tried to persuade him to end his May 4 programme and join the May 5 rally.

Also on Wednesday, MQM-H chief Ahmed said his party was holding a “meeting of the Mohajir people” in Liaquatabad on May 6 to foil conspiracies against them.

Mr Ahmed extended an olive branch to both groups of the MQM-P by sending a delegation to PIB Colony and Bahadurabad for inviting them to join the party’s May 6 rally to be held at the Liaquatabad flyover.

The delegation comprising Naeem Hashmat and Kamran Rizvi reached the MQM-P’s temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad and met Bahadurabad group’s leader Aminul Haq, Dr Abdul Qadir Khanzada and Aslam Afridi.

Mr Haq told Dawn that the MQM-H delegation was told that the party’s coordination committee would decide about attending the May 6 rally at its meeting to be held soon.

When asked whether his party invited MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed to their May 5 planned public meeting in Liaquatabad’s Tanki Ground, he said the MQM-P had already invited all political parties to attend its public meeting.

The same MQM-H delegation also met Dr Sattar and invited him to the May 6 rally.

Dr Sattar also told them that he would take a decision after consulting his coordination committee.

Joint rally

On Wednesday night, Dr Sattar announced at the Tanki Ground that he was not going to hold the PIB group’s public meeting on May 4. “For the sake of Mohajir unity, I take back my announcement of holding the public meeting on May 4. I am going to Bahadurabad [headquarters] and we will hold a joint rally.”

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2018