Member of MQM Rabita Committee, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the invitation to Dr Farooq Sattar had been withdrawn through a section officer.

Siddiqui added that the provincial government had failed to maintain law and order in the city. “The hopes of the people of Karachi have been trampled upon by withdrawing the invitation.”

He added that an All Parties Conference (APC) had been called by the provincial leadership of the PML-N, which was sending a non-serious message. “The APC will not generate any results and shows that the federal government has no interest in Karachi.”

According to Siddiqui, despite reservations senior party members Haider Abbaz Rizvi and Babar Ghauri would be attending the conference.

“We did not expect the federal government to be pressurised on this matter. Pakistan needs strong leadership which does not scumunb under pressure.”

Siddiqui added that the MQM had 85 percent of the mandate in Karachi and parties with no representation in the city had been invited to the APC.

MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar had been invited to attend the session on directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. It was expected that the federal cabinet would hear the stance of the MQM seeking the deployment of army in Karachi.