MQM flip-flops over Zardari's resignation

ISLAMABAD/ London (APP/Online) An MQM delegation led by Dr Farooq Sattar, Minister for
Overseas Pakistanis and parliamentary leader of the party, called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf
Raza Gilani at his Parliament House Chamber on Monday evening and discussed the latest political
situation in the country.
The delegation clarified the news item regarding the resignation of President Asif Ali Zardari. They
informed the prime minister that MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain had not issued any such statement.
Other members of the delegation included Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri and
MNA Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan, Minister for Petroleum Syed Naveed Qamar,
Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Shah and Senator Raza Rabbani were also
present in the meeting.
Earlier, there were reports that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) while deciding to oppose
National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the National Assembly has advised President Asif Ali
Zardari to step down as countrys head of state.
The final decision into this effect would be announced by Rabita Committee of the party.
A private TV channel quoted sources as saying the high-level leadership of MQM through Federal
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan advised President Zardari to tender resignation.
MAM Chief Altaf Hussain while talking to the TV channel said that he had directed his party
members of National Assembly to oppose the NRO in the Parliament, adding that he had also told
the president that the ordinance was a black law and the govt should not bring it in the Parliament
because the nation had rejected it. Despite his recommendation, the government brought the NRO in
the Parliament. Therefore, MQM had decided to oppose it, he said.
Altaf Hussain went on to say he advised President Zardari to step down to save democratic system
in the country. The president and his colleagues who are the NRO beneficiaries should appear
before the court, he maintained.
Another TV channel also reported Altaf Hussain as saying, I brotherly suggest Asif Ali Zardari to
render a big sacrifice in order to save the democracy from derailing.
He said the Supreme Court had given a chance to the parliament to review on NRO, adding that any
patriotic Pakistani would not support corruption.
On the other hand, MQM Rabita Committee member Mohammad Anwar while talking to a private TV
has confirmed that Altaf had advised the president to step down in the better interest of the country.
President Zardari neither should take test of his coalition partners nor his own party in the
Parliament, he remarked.
He further informed that the MQM Rabita Committee would take the finial decision.
Answering a question, he said, His party thinks that corruption would be legitimised in case of
NROs approval by the Parliament, which is against the policies of MQM.
Replying to a question, he made it clear that the MQM was not a beneficiary of NRO, saying that no
case of corruption against any member of MQM had been registered so far. However, cases based
on political victimisation were registered against the MQM chief and party MNAs and MPAs some
years ago, he said.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Farooq Sattar while talking to media men
outside the Parliament House also present the MQM stance that his party would not support the NRO
in the Parliament, which had been conveyed to Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik.