LAHORE- MQM Coordination Committee London Deputy Convener Nadeem Nusrat is most likely to take up the supervisory role to run the party’s affairs if the detained founding chief Altaf Hussain remains in custody of British authorities for a longer period, The Nation has learnt.
Sources in MQM powerful coordination committee, privy to the developments on this count, told this correspondent on Wednesday that interim changes in the party setup at London and Karachi were highly likely in the possible absence of party’s founding chief for a longer period.
They informed that party’s deputy convener in London, Nadeem Nusrat, was most likely to supervise the party affairs in the possible absence of Altaf Hussain, while Governor Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad would also assist the party from shadows as he was holding a public office.
Founding MQM chief is in hospital in London with officers of the Scotland Yard who are waiting for his recovery to question him in a money laundering case.
The Scotland Yard can hold any suspect for 36 hours for preliminary questioning and it has to frame formal charges against any individual if it wants to hold him for a longer period.
So far the 36 hours have not started for the Scotland Yard as the MQM chief is in a London hospital for medical checkups.
Senior MQM leader Waseem Akhtar, when contacted, said, “Nadeem Nusrat, party’s London secretariat deputy convener coordination committee, can play the interim supervisory role along with other senior members if God forbids we fail to free the founding party chief from the clutches of British authorities, which he claimed holding him (Altaf Hussain) on political grounds at the behest of some international powers.”
When asked about the role of Sindh Governor who was politically affiliated with MQM before taking over the office, he said, “How can a sitting Governor become part of the activities of a political party. The efforts of Ishrat-ul-Ebad concerning Altaf Bhai are part of his role as Governor of the province which houses the headquarters of the MQM.”
About the possibilities of release of MQM chief after the 36 hours preliminary questioning of the Scotland Yard, Waseem claimed, “MQM legal team is confident that Altaf Bhai will be freed after preliminary questioning. Pakistan government’s involvement in MQM chief episode and convincing communication concerning Altaf Bhai is expected to bring positive results.”
Without unveiling the secret communications with the UK by Islamabad’s emissaries in London, he claimed that Pakistan government had communicated ‘something convincing’ for looking into the matter of the chief of a popular party of Pakistan.
Waseem, when asked about the alleged powers pushing London to frame MQM chief in false case, he said: We will expose the international powers behind Altaf Bhai episode if he will not be cleared from the false case.
MQM senior leader warned that no power could be able to control the heat, which could emerge if anything happens to Altaf Bhai.
According to party sources, in the meanwhile, absence of some MQM leaders belonging to new breed of the party during this crisis has been noticed among the party circles as an indication of dents in the MQM. Sources further said if this situation prolongs it will cast a negative impact on the party workers.
ALTAF URGES WORKERS
TO KEEP CALM
Staff Reporter from Karachi adds: A statement was issued by the MQM on Wednesday which revealed that party chief Altaf Hussain has talked to London-based MQM coordination committee.
In a 20-minute telephonic chat, Altaf directed the party workers across the world to remain calm down and avoid going beyond the laws at any cost.
Altaf Hussain gave details about his health conditions and also inquired after the workers and nation. “Such sort of problems and issues are not new in my life. I have faced such sort of problems in the past and will continue my struggle for the cause. Neither I disappointed the nation in the past nor will I disappoint them in future.” Altaf also talked to his daughter Afza Altaf.
MQM coordination committee members including Deputy Convener Nadeem Nusrat, member Tariq Mir, M Anwar, Tariq Javaid, Babar Ghauri, Amir Khan, Wasey Jalill, Mustafa Azizabadi, Qasim Ali Raza and others were present at the London secretariat of the MQM.