KARACHI: Syed Saleem Shahzad, a former senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and an ex-MNA, passed away at a London hospital on Sunday.

He had been suffering from cancer for the last three years. He was hospitalised a few days ago, where he died.

All factions of the MQM, including the MQM-London and Pak Sarzameen Party, in their separate statements expressed their grief over his death.

Mr Shahzad was the vice chairman of the then Mohajir Qaumi Movement when it was formed in 1984. He was elected twice as a member of the National Assembly in 1988 and 1990.

Following the June 1992 army operation against the party he, like most other leaders, went into self-imposed exile in the UAE as he was on a list of most-wanted persons.

He remained inactive in politics for about a decade. He had reached the United Kingdom and joined the MQM, which by then renamed itself to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and its supremo Altaf Hussain. However, he never got the same confidence of Mr Hussain he once enjoyed.

He was expelled from the MQM a few years ago. He had also condemned the Aug 22, 2016 incendiary speech of Mr Hussain and on Feb 6, 2017 returned to Pakistan in an attempt to unite different factions of the MQM.

However, he was arrested at the airport because of multiple cases registered in the ’90s against him. After he was released on bail, he announced that he was going to form his own party. He also met Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan in Islamabad before going back to London.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018