مضمون کا ماخذ : میگا سینا پریمیو
MQM-P convenorship matter postponed without development
LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan has adjourned hearing of the case pertaining to MQM-P’s convenership till March 7. There were no further developments in the hearing on Friday, after Farooq Sattar, who leads the PIB faction of the party, earlier challenged the commission’s jurisdiction to hear the case. During the hearing, Advocate Farogh Naseem […]
LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan has adjourned hearing of the case pertaining to MQM-P’s convenership till March 7.
There were no further developments in the hearing on Friday, after Farooq Sattar, who leads the PIB faction of the party, earlier challenged the commission’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
During the hearing, Advocate Farogh Naseem appeared on behalf of the MQM-Bahadurabad faction and Babar Sattar represented the PIB faction.
Naseem told the commission that Farooq Sattar had conducted an intraparty election on his own, over which ECP sought a reply from Sattar in the next hearing.
Naseem further urged the ECP to temporarily suspend both Sattar and Siddiqui as conveners and allow MQM-P lawmakers to cast their votes as per their choice in the upcoming Senate elections.
Reflecting on the Sattar-led group’s intra-party elections, Naseem said the party’s constitution had outlined that intra-party elections could be held every four years. He pointed out that since the party held elections in 2016, they were not due until 2020.
When the lawyer requested the commission to postpone the matter since Senate election was scheduled to be held on March 3, the chief election commissioner said that Senate election was precisely the reason why he was adjourning the hearing till March 7.
Talking to media after the hearing, Farogh Naseem said that 95 percent of the party considered Khalid Maqbool as the convener, while Babar Sattar said that 12,000 members had expressed confidence on Farooq Sattar.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Sattar had said that the party’s constitution provided a solution to the issue and there was no need for the commission to hear the matter.
“ECP is mandated to hold elections for Senate and national and provincial assemblies,” he said.
MQM-P infighting had started over a dispute between Sattar and other members of the coordination committee over Kamran Tessori’s name for Senate candidates. Sattar was supporting his name while Amir Khan was opposed to nominating Tessori for the Senate election.
Published in Daily Times, March 3rd 2018.
