KARACHI, 12 July — The exiled leader of the Muttaheda Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain has turned down an invitation to attend a convention in New Delhi on July 13, the party’s coordination committee said in a statement. Last week Hussain was invited by Bharat-Pak-Bangladesh Mahasangh Banao Sammelan, an Indian NGO, to attend the convention in Delhi’s Constitution Club, to discuss the possibilities of a confederation between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Earlier reports indicated that India would not grant a visa to the MQM leader, even if he applied for one. The Hindu reported yesterday quoting officials saying that “Altaf Hussain has not applied for a visa to visit India. We will not grant him the visa, even if an application was submitted.”

Indian diplomats in London however have neither received such a request from Hussain or instructions from its foreign office. “There is no visa request [from Altaf Hussain] so far and we will seek guidance [from Delhi] if any application is made,” said a spokesman for the high commission.

Although, the MQM leader’s visit to India is now shelved because of “unsuitable timing and a very short notice”, he made his ideas on the subject of a confederation known in a live chat on www.indiatimes.com last week.

On the idea of a confederation between India and Pakistan, the MQM leader said: “I can only hope for the best, as I do not have the power to influence these decisions. I can just pray. If you would have such an authority it would set another example like the European union.” The MQM leader maintained that the division of the subcontinent was the biggest blunder in the history of mankind.

The partition not only divided our land, but also divided Muslims into three parts. He was glad that Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee were meeting but remained pessimistic about the outcome because Musharraf was not an elected leader.

Apparently Hussain is looking forward to visiting India. “My followers have urged me to visit India, and I wish to see the birthplace of my forefathers and meet the people living there. If possible, during my visit I would like to apprise them of the plight of the Mohajirs living in Pakistan and use all my good offices to resolve the Kashmir issue.”