Summary Voters have to select from amongst 3 options: "Yes", "not at all" or "I don't know".
LAHORE (WebDesk) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain posted a poll on the party’s official website asking whether he should step down as leader and distance himself from the movement. For an answer to Hussain’s question “I ask the just public of the nation if I should withdraw from the movement to save the nation and the party”, voters have to select from amongst 3 options: “Yes”, “not at all” or “I don’t know”.
Recently, MQM has been receiving blows after blows as the government and the Rangers tighten their noose against them while cases against its leader pile up abroad, with Scotland Yard’s investigation regarding Hussain’s alleged money laundering case and the government co-operating with the British police in the murder investigation of senior MQM leader Imran Farooq. Even MQM’s central nerve centre at Nine Zero was under scrutiny as a raid by the rangers resulted in a heavy cache of ammunition being seized from its headquarters.
Statements made by former leaders and activists were also detrimental to the party’s image like the infamous case of Saulat Mirza and the BBC highlighting Tariq Mir’s allegations of MQM receiving funding from Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have also left its leaders exasperated, having to clarify their situation again and again.
Amidst all this, are the episodes of Hussain’s repeated resignations from party leadership and cancellation of these resignations. Hussain has repeatedly resigned from his post in the past as well and hours after his resignation, cancelled it. The withdrawal of resignation is either on the request of the party workers or its leaders.
Hussain’s resignation series are not new and have a history as far back as 1992, during Karachi Operation when the MQM chief had announced his decision to leave the party leadership.
In January 2007, citing differences with MQM leaders’ style of governance, Hussain stated that he could not continue under such conditions
In April 2008, Hussain was furious with target killings in Karachi and announced his decision to resign.
Likewise in August 2011, Hussain declared his resignation from the party and handed over his duties to MQM’s Rabita Committee and suggesting that the army take over the country.
On December 17th 2012, Hussain asked his worker’s opinion on his resignation but did not follow thorugh with his decision due to the pressure of party workers.
In June 2013, during Scotland Yard’s search of his residence, Hussain stated that it was not possible for him to lead MQM while staying in London.
Similar resignations where Hussain talked about handing over his responsibilities to the Rabita Committee were made on 4th of September and in December 2014 but taken back on the same days.
During a TV interview in January 29th, Hussain announced he would be addressing the workers for the final time but was stopped by party workers from stepping down.
During this year as well, Hussain has handed over his resignation numerous times only to cancel it again.
Resignations are normally announced during a late night telephonic address to the party workers and taken back during that address.
Some of the things which have infuriarted Hussain and led him to hand in his resignation are the alleged targeting of MQM workers during the Karachi operation and his differences with the Rabita Committee leaders whose decisions Hussain sees as cowardly and his past differences with them on their style of governance.
The poll posted on MQM’s official website has now been closed with the results and the final decision on Hussain’s resignation still unclear with the expectation that a trend followed in the past will be repeated.
