MQM not to participate in Jan 14 long march, says Farooq Sattar

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday announced that it will not participate in Minhajul Quran International’s (MQI) million-man march, scheduled for January 14.

MQI leader Raheeq Abbasi said that the long march will be held despite MQM’s absence.
Interestingly, the MQM had stated yesterday that it would continue to support and participate in Dr Tahirul Qadri’s “million-man” march at any cost.
The announcement was made by Deputy Convener Farooq Sattar in Karachi. Speaking to the media, he said that keeping in mind the situation,We have decided that MQM  not to participate in jan 14 long march.
“We [MQM] contacted MQI chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and informed him about the decision and told him that we will be with him in any given condition.”
Sattar said that MQM chief Altaf Hussain has the same vision as Qadri and that it will continue to give political support to Qadri.
“Altaf Hussain’s 35-year-long struggle is not for attaining power, but for brining a revolution in Pakistan.”
MQM, at the “Safar-e-Inqilab-e-Pakistan” held at Jinnah Ground, had said that “thousands of its workers” will show up at Dr Qadri’s long march.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik had met with Altaf in London and requested him to reconsider the party’s decision to participate in the march.
The government – failing to persuade Qadri to withdraw his plans for a long march on the capital – has finally launched a crackdown against MQI activists as a last-ditch effort to force Qadri to put it off.

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