Farooq Sattar speaks to media outside his residence in Karachi's PIB Colony. ? Geo News screengrab

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Thursday denied reports of meeting Sindh Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro and asking him for a list of MQM-P workers serving on government posts.

"Neither did I meet Shoro, nor I had a telephonic conversation with him," Sattar told newsmen outside his residence here. He said party activists serving in government departments are being misled and called on "owners and editor" of a private news channel to demand resignation from the reporter behind the story.

Commenting on allegations by Bahadurabad faction of the party, the former convener said he has clearly instructed his affiliates to abstain from issuing unnecessary statements.

He said that his side tries to respond to the allegations through press briefings and that he does not want these recriminations to continue.

Sattar, however, maintained that it was their right to respond to allegations levelled against them.

He also claimed that party activists are being forwarded voice messages ahead of a workers' meeting summoned by Bahadurabad faction on Friday.

"Workers are being conveyed that numbers do not matter, principles do," the MQM-P leader said, adding, "I endorse this thing. Also it is the organisation that matters, not individuals."

He said that he wonders how the workers would be treated by the ones who sidelined a party head.