KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) late on Saturday deferred their protests over non-issuance of National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistani (NICOP) to its chief Altaf Hussian after the latter urged them to do so upon the government’s assurances.
In a statement issued here, Hussain said “high officials of the government and concerned departments” have assured him of settling the matter with concurrence.
“Therefore, I appeal Rabita Committee to postpone the protests as a goodwill gesture,” said the MQM chief.
He said the country was already faced with multidimensional challenges and they did not wish to increase them. “So, we wish that the issue gets resolved with complete understanding,” he added.
The statement came a day after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan warned the MQM against “politics of threats,” saying there is no gain for the government by not issuing Altaf Hussain his NICOP.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement had staged a protest demonstration outside the Nadra head office in Karachi the same day. A large number of people attended the rally holding placards and chanting slogans against the interior ministry.
Legal notices had also been served through MQM's Barrister Farogh Nasim to the interior ministry, Pakistan High Commission in London, Nadra and other concerned departments over the issue.
MQM and its chief Altaf Hussain had alleged that the interior ministry and Nadra were playing delay tactics through ‘lame excuses’ in issuing Husain his NICOP which he applied for at the Pakistani High Commission in London more than a month ago.
The party had warned of launching country-wide protests if the interior ministry failed to issue the NICOP to its chief immediately.