WASHINGTON: A senior MQM leader welcomed on Saturday the government`s decision to form a grievances redressal committee and hoped that it would start its proceedings soon.

`This is a good development and since it was constituted through a process of mutual consultation, we welcome this move,` Dr Farooq Sattar told Dawn.

The committee, announced on Friday, will register and redress concerns about the Rangers-led operation being carried out in Karachi.

`We hope the committee will start its sittings soon so that the grievances can be placed before the committee,` Mr Sattar said.

Asked if the MQM had accepted the members nominated by the government, Mr Sattar said the members too were nominated with mutual consultations.

`We have no issue with the composition, no reservation,` he said while urging thegovernment to `now facilitate this committee in all respects`.

Mr Sattar also said that an Indian media report claiming that he had asked the Obama administration to stop Pakistan`s government from targeting its members in Karachi was wrong.

The report, published earlier on Saturday, claimed that during his visit to Washington this week Mr Sattar met US State Department officials and sought their help to stop the operation in Karachi.

`No, I have not met any State Department or US official in Washington and I never made such a statement,` he said.

Mr Sattar, however, said that during a talk at a think-tank in Washington he did say that turmoil in Karachi would have a negative impact on Pakistan`s campaign against terrorism.

In the talk, he identified the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi as `the enemy within` and urged the Pakistani state to focus on its fight against terrorism, he said.

Mr Sattar said that the MQM`s participation in the upcoming local government elections reflected its desire to `use the political forum to send our message across`.

`We will return from these elections with a popular mandate and once again prove that the MQM remains a political force,` he added.

Mr Sattar alleged that the operation in Karachi intended to `push MQM against the wall but like similar actions in the past, this too will fail`.