MQM recounts lost love with PPP
Bureau Report

LAHORE—MQM leader Farooq Sattar has said PPP and not General Musharraf was first priority of MQM after the general elections 2002 in the process of government making. . He said this while addressing a press conference here Sunday. Former leader of Tehreek-e-Insaf, Naveed Khan also announced to join MQM along with his associates.
Naveed Khan said he had joined MQM while agreeing to manifesto of MQM and vision of its leader Altaf Hussain. Dr Farooq Sattar said MQM first priority after general elections-2002 was PPP and not general Musharraf. “ We held talks for formation of government for 15 days and we achieved success at preliminary stage. But when PPP sought approval from Benazir Bhutto in this regard, she rejected it. Later MQM joined coalition government to take forward moderation, enlightenment and democratic process. We are ready to work with democratic forces to move forward the vision of enlightened moderation”, he added.
Farooq Sattar told he had discussed with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in a meeting about Musharraf-Benazir talks. Chaudhry Shujaat told us that talks have not stalled on 58 (2) B or uniform issue but the matters are not moving forward on third term prime minister issue. To a question he told no court of Canada has declared Altaf Hussain terrorist and it was a Canadian institution which had done so.
As far as the claim of Imran Khan on arrest of Altaf Hussain on September 15 and bringing him to Pakistan is concerned, September 15 is not far off. Start count down and every thing will become clear, he added.
Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) had entered into alliance with other political parties after general elections of year 2002, as Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rejected its recommendations to form a coalition government.
MQM Parliamentary Leader in National Assembly and Deputy Convener of its Coordination Committee, Dr Farooq Sattar disclosed this at press conference at a local hotel on Sunday. Dr Sattar said, “After general elections of 2002, our first choice was the PPP and we wanted to form a coalition government with it.”
After having talks for two weeks, the Movement managed to settle the matters in this regard with the PPP at lower level, he said. But the PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto rejected their recommendations in Dubai that left the MQM with no other option but to make alliance with other political parties to form a government, he maintained.
To a question about Canadian court’s verdict of declaring Altaf Hussain as terrorist, Dr Sattar said the Movement had challenged this decree in the Judicial Appellate Court of Canada. “I myself appeared before the Canadian court to record my statement in this regard,” he added.
Regarding collapse of Norther Bypass bridge in Karachi, the MQM leader termed it a sheer negligence on the part of the quarters concerned. He called for thorough probe into the fatal incident and giving exemplary punishment to those responsible.