PTI offered me to join party and contest by-election from NA-247: Sattar

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Wednesday claimed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) offered him to contest the upcoming by-elections from their seat.

Speaking to the media in Karachi, Sattar said, "PTI has offered me to join the party and contest the by-polls in NA-247 from Arif Alvi's seat."

Mutual friends in PTI invited me to contest by-polls but I have never left my party, the MQM-P leader said.

Sattar had lost the NA-247 seat to PTI candidate Dr Arif Alvi during the July 25 polls. However, the seat is now vacant following the presidential election which saw Alvi being elected as the country's 13th president.

Congratulated Alvi on being elected president, the MQM-P leader said, "“Alvi defeated me during the July 25 election. Now I hope he works for the betterment of Karachi."

He added, “MQM-P is an important party for the people of Sindh."

"The party plays an important part in solving problems of the residents of the province,” Sattar added.

The Sindh governor, PTI and MQM-P should work together to keep a united front, he asserted.

Moreover, the veteran MQM-P politician said, he was not consulted in decisions taken by MQM-P and in some decisions he did not take part himself.

“Whatever happened I was not disheartened but Ali Raza Abidi was disheartened and he resigned from the party,” Sattar said.

He added, “There is still time for MQM-P to correct their mistakes and compensate for the mistakes made.”