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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Altaf reveals threats to his life, country

KARACHI: MQM leader Altaf Hussain Friday has revealed that his life is threatened by anti-Pakistan and anti- MQM elements.

Addressing a 3-and-a-half hour long video conference and a huge crowd of his supporters he said that MQM was not against any community living in the mega city and believed in Pakistan and its future. “We have suffered worst times during 1992 army operation and even then we raised slogans of Pakistan Zindabad,” he said.
This is clear evidence that MQM is a patriotic party and is not under influence of any agency or power,” said Altaf who was speaking apparently in an effort to control the damage caused by the MQM critics, especially the former home minister of Sindh Zulfiqar Mirza.
He said that there were various conspiracies at work that wanted to harm Pakistan.
During the address, Altaf Hussain divulged into a number of issues including political scenario of the country, law and order situation in the country especially Karachi, the on-going operation against miscreants in the mega city which he said was actually directed against MQM, suo motu taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan over Karachi situation and an international conspiracy aimed at breaking Pakistan.
However, major part of Altaf Hussain’s tirade was focussed against media who according to Altaf Hussain was promoting hooliganism and giving ‘undue’ coverage to MQM’s opponents. Altaf Hussain commiserated with people who had lost their loved ones during the violence that has engulfed Karachi.
He said that a number of MQM workers have been targeted in Karachi and that many of them had been subjected to torture before being murdered. Altaf Hussain said that his party workers had been ruthlessly killed. Altaf Hussain also accused the People’s Aman Committee of being involved in the gang warfare taking place in Lyari and of being responsible for target killings in Karachi.
The MQM chief said that he is not the enemy of Pashtuns and paid tributes to political figures such as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. He said that the MQM had always stood against feudalism in Pakistan and that he opposed the exploitation of the resources of the country.
Altaf Hussain also said that anti-state elements want to dismember Pakistan and accused ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan of being on the payroll of the Americans and that he had been given millions of dollars by the United States to win elections.
MQM leader Altaf Hussain also accused the ANP of misleading its workers in Karachi. He said that the PPP and PML-N have both failed to live up to the Charter of Democracy agreement that was signed between the two political parties.
The MQM chief also said that former prime minister and PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif withdrew forces from Kargil after being told to do so by the United States. Accusing the present Awami National Party (ANP) leadership of misguiding Pakhtuns, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain said that during the 2008 elections ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan was provided several million dollars by the US. “If I was against Pakhtuns why they supported MQM across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it (MQM) announced day of mourning” Altaf said.
The MQM Chief is holding a video conference in which he said innocent people were tortured and slaughtered by terrorists in the past days. “If I was not the chief of my party I would have been killed or taken someone’s life” he said during his address.
He added that the history of Pakistan which was being taught was false and the country was a far cry from the vision of Jinnah who was a secularist and spoke of equality for all. Without mentioning any names Atlaf Hussain criticized the act of Zulfiqar Mirza who had placed the Quran on his head during his news conference. Altaf Hussain said the Quran was for reciting and obtaining knowledge. Altaf Hussain said statements made by TV anchorpersons that they would not let the MQM remain in sole power in Karachi were an act of dictatorship. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain said foreign forces wanted to break Pakistan, adding that his party is a hurdle between the disintegration of the country. During his first video press conference from party’s London-based secretariat, he said, “I may be killed because I am a hurdle in plans of dividing Pakistan.” He also showed a map of the region in which Pakistan was divided. He also accused the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for paying Haqiqi members to fire on an MQM rally during May 12 and fueling the violence which took place in Karachi on that day. He demanded that action be taken against the JI’s militant wing ‘Thunder Squad’. He added that 16 MQM workers were killed while 65 were injured on May 12.
On the Charter of Democracy (COD) Altaf said that both the PPP and Nawaz Sharif had failed to implement it, and called it a document of false promises. The MQM Chief also mentioned the Chief Justice stating that his court had issued several orders but they were not implemented. “If you make a decision against the MQM than it might be implemented” he said. He said the history of Pakistan which was being taught at schools was false and fabricated and quite different from the vision of Jinnah who wanted a secular free and religiously moderate Pakistan. The MQM chief alleged that the Awami National Party chief, Asfandyar Wali had received millions of dollars from the US to help win the 2008 elections. Though, he conceded that he lacked concrete proof to back his claim. On this occasion, he held up a purported leaked CIA map which details a vision of the Middle East with a divided Pakistan. Hussain also quoted Jinnah’s August 11 speech saying that Jinnah was a secular and progressive, and an honest man. He said that Jinnah had called for a Pakistan where everyone would have equal rights. Hussain said that much of the history of Pakistan taught in our schools was twisted. MQM chief Altaf Hussain is currently addressing a televised press conference live from London. He has started the address with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Directs salutations to the missing and victims of torture and target killings in recent days.
Earlier, in the day, he had issued a written statement in which he claimed that there were foreign agencies which were trying to assassinate him. Altaf Hussain had spent much of last week in the hospital, giving rise to rumours that he had been arrested for attempting to flee to South Africa. Online