KARACHI: Taking responsibility for the defeat of his party in the July 25 election, Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chairman Afaq Ahmed on Friday announced his resignation from the top office of his party.

Besides other candidates of his party, Mr Ahmed himself contested and lost elections from two National Assembly constituencies — NA-240 and NA-254.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said that he would continue to work for the party as a worker.

Casting doubts over the election results, he said that the mandate of Karachi should have gone to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pak Sarzameen Party or his MQM-H, but the results were beyond his understanding.

Congratulates Imran Khan on delivering a ‘revolutionary speech’

He said he could not believe that a non-Mohajir candidate could have been elected from a Mohajir-dominated constituency. “This is painful for me.”

He said that Karachi was being snatched from Urdu-speaking people under a planned conspiracy. “This is not my personal issue but the matter of my future generations,” he added.

The MQM-H leader said that he warned all those who were doing Mohajir politics that Karachi was being taken away from them. “They did not pay attention and today this city slips out of their hands.”

However, it appeared that Afaq Ahmed did not want to displease the powers that be so he praised the Thursday speech of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

“Imran Khan has delivered a revolutionary speech. We will support the next government if he fulfils all promises he made in the speech,” he said.

However, he said he accepted full responsibility for the defeat of his party in the elections and decided to resign from the post of chairman. “It is time for the party to choose a new leadership,” he said.

Scores of workers present there started shouting slogans as soon as Mr Ahmed made the announcement. The workers said they would not accept his resignation.

In a thinly veiled reference to MQM founder Altaf Hussain who is known for giving and taking back his resignations in a matter of a few hours, he said he was not like those who change their decisions.

He said that he wanted to promote a democratic culture in the party. He said he would continue to work for the party and Mohajir nation as a worker.

He asked party workers to form a managing committee to reorganise the party.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2018