Farooq Sattar urges MQM-P to quit federal govt after Sindh governor change

KARACHI: Senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Thursday criticised the federal government’s decision to replace the Sindh governor, suggesting that his party should consider withdrawing from the ruling coalition.

Speaking to a television channel, Sattar said there was no justification for MQM-P to remain part of the federal government after what he described as a unilateral decision.

“There is no justification for the party to remain in the federal government after such a unilateral decision, and we should immediately withdraw from the federal government,” he said.

His remarks came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to appoint senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nehal Hashmi as the new governor of Sindh and sent a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for approval.

Sattar said MQM-P remains an ally of PML-N but argued that the constitutional office of the Sindh governor has traditionally been held by his party. “It has been a tradition that the governor of Sindh comes from MQM Pakistan,” he said, adding that the party should reassess its position in the federal government following the decision.

Earlier, the MQM-P said in a statement that it had not been taken into confidence regarding the change. The party spokesperson said the leadership learned about the decision through media reports and that the federal government had not consulted MQM-P before making the move.

The spokesperson added that the party leadership would soon determine its response to the development.

The development follows mounting criticism of incumbent Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori from legal bodies and political figures over alleged political activities at the Governor House.

Last month, the Sindh Bar Council demanded Tessori’s immediate removal, calling his political engagements at the Governor House a violation of the Constitution.

In a resolution adopted during its 109th meeting on February 21, the council stated that the governor’s involvement in political activities had rendered him unfit to represent the federation and called for his removal from office.