File photo of MQM chief Altaf Hussain. PHOTO: MQM
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that the petitioner needs to name the MQM chief as a respondent in his application instead of writing “MQM chief”.
Zafarullah said that it was clear that Altaf Hussain was running the party, but the chief justice stated that MQM is registered under Farooq Sattar’s name in Pakistan.
The chief justice directed the applicant to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and find documents regarding the chairmanship of MQM.
During the hearing, Justice Ijaz Afzal also remarked that politicians keep giving such statements, but the court cannot take notice of all of them.
Zafarullah asked the court to declare Altaf Hussain and his party workers “enemies of Pakistan” and ban them from giving speeches. He said a treason case should also be initiated against the party.
The court ordered the applicant to amend his application and adjourned the hearing for one week.
Earlier this month, Altaf Hussain addressed his supporters in Karachi where he allegedly threatened Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf supporters who were protesting against rigging.
He also reportedly said that Karachi should be separated from Pakistan if the mandate given to the MQM by the people is not acceptable.
The statements created uproar across the country, after which the party clarified saying the statements were rhetorical, and misinterpreted by the media.
COMMENTS (47)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@ET Your policy of moderation is inconsistent. While sometimes you do not publish relevant and non-abusive comments, at other times/instances you allow not so very relevant comments and even abusive language. Please work harder at being consistent. Thanks.
"Please cut the rubbish." Should ET allow such language?
@Aysha:
@Do Gsout:@Aysha: You are a piece of work! Interesting to see ET encouraging comments of this nature
Any thing is possible from IK's followers.
@Umer: (Excuse delayed response due to power outages.) Army has more Punjabis because others are less inclined to join. As regards, gas and other resources, if other Provinces provide gas, Punjab provides wheat and other agricultural products. There could be better allocation if it is not there now but a constructive approach would not hurt. As regards your statement: “…Punjabis get all the jobs and positions, including many in Sindh and Baluchistan,” please note that if Punjabis get “all the jobs and positions,” in Sindh and Baluchistan then it must be on merit otherwise why would Sindh and Baluchistan Provincial Governments give Punjabis “all the jobs.” Let us think of ourselves as Pakistanis first, please.
@M Uzair: Talk some sense, Did AH threat, Deat threat to PTI workers, Never, he did request them to calm down Dont you people can not speak trutch
Why only Altaf Hussain Every QUOM PARAST LEADERS From Sindh, Balochistan,KP , have been regularly saying these kind of statments, why any body not filed cases against them. AH only said in sentiments, not seriously
@Khadim Karrar: You just consolidated my point. So why does such a densely populated area is giving mandate to MQM (and please donot give crap that election was rigged, it certainly wasn't cause I live through this city and i approve the mandate i see around), while the leader of the party hints for separation????? It means injustice is felt at the lowest levels and its people are frustrated with the whole nation overloading the city and creating chaos. I am not against inflow of population from other parts of country but I strongly support its regulation. Regulate it in every city of the country. Too many people in a place results in chaos. Build other cities of Pakistan, divide the resources and ease up Karachi from its burden. Just don't keep blaming Karachites for your mistakes!!
@Munsif Sindhi: It makes me proud when you say that Karachi is the heart of Sindh and that certainly is true. So, why is it such a successful place (in terms of social and economic development) than other parts of Sindh?? Its because of the people and the people are mostly Urdu speak who find safety under the flag of MQM. Why don't the interior Sindhis support MQM as they will bring in a modern system of administration, like the local body system. Why do they like to live in underdeveloped areas and forever vote for the feudals who slave them for the worst?? MQM is more prone to questioning since Karachites are more active on social media plus most of the electronic media is head quartered here. But what about the bad acts of the reigning parties of the interior. they are never questioned since no one raises voice against them!! In my eyes the interior Sindh's condition is more helpless and the nation should be focusing on them.
why my comments are not published?
AH was correct, when you don't accept a party's mandate, you invite separation movements. Don't need to go too far, go thru the sequence of events of Dhaka fall in 1971.
@Khadim Karrar: You are kidding, right? 90% of Army is Punjabi while 95% gas comes from other provinces, mostly from Sindh. Where is the proportion in this? Punjabis get all the jobs and positions, including many in Sindh and Baluchistan, while other provinces pay for Punjabi privileges from their own resources. Please cut the rubbish.
How many times other provinces have taken military action against Punjabis which Punjab keeps doing all the time under one pretext or another.
@Umer: I am not a Punjabi but my personal experience and observations at large attest to the Punjabis being very large hearted. The only problem seems to be that jealousy of their pre-eminence in economic, State, agricultural and bureacracy matters are not accepted with a large heart, which should be as being in a very large majority they deserve according to their proportion. But even here, for example, we see that NS is giving Baluch leaders, for instance, representation that the Baluch deserve but which others might have denied. It is Punjab's sagiousness that contributes to holding Pakistan together.
Rayan, people tolerate MQM because other option available in Karachi is Taliban type thugs or tribal type thugs. Better to have a parha-likha bunch who at least won't object to you wearing shorts and take you to some jirga kangaroo court. Other than this there is a ever present fear of 'Punjabi hegemony' and urban rural divide between Sindhis. Aysha, those aspects of their ideology are what is best about them! If they could just give up the guns and fitna / khaal / bhatta.
@Rayan: Sir, you seem to have forgotten the most discriminatory "QUOTA SYSTEM" introduced around mid 1970's for 10 years but is still operational to date - FORTY YEARS.
@Karachiwala: There are important difference in the case of Baluchistan and those calling for its independence on the one hand and on the other hand between Karachi and MQM and Altaf Hussein. For one, Karachi is concentrated in a small area as compared to Baluchistan. For another, Baluchistan's nationalist movement is fragmented and it has a large Pakhtun population concentrated in the north, whereas Karachi is pretty much together and cohesive. Further, MQM has won the majority of seats but the nationalist parties of Baluchistan have not. This makes the threat of Karachi's independence more real than that of Baluchistan and therefore it has to be taken more seriously.
@Karachiwala: Karachi is heart of Sindh, belongs to Sindh, and hence Pakistan. How on Earth any foreign citizen demands separation of Karachi even rhetorically ?
I sure that no any positive judgment will come from the Supreme court. People should reject such a politician himself.
Wonderful Pakistanis - what a comaprison, at one hand the lawyer is requesting SC to declare enemies of Pakistan, the other hand Baluch burning Pakistani flags and banning national anthem, several malayousufzais are stopped to attend schools, schools are burnt down but the 'narrow minded' people only see MQM - KPK is for Pushtoons, Punjab is for Punjabis, Baluchistan is for Baluchis, Sindh is for everyone, particularly Karachi. For all good deeds in Karachi - no appreciation but for a single thing it is MQM - Karachi is sorounded by different sections e.g. Baluchis at Liyari, industrial zones for Punjabis and Pukhtoons, central for urdu speaking. all are living very peacefully they have properties, business and their families are merged with urdu speakers - Liyari gangs maafia and other elements are beding captured by law enforcement agencies/rangers - these are not MQM people - see and again see on tvs. stop blaming MQM for everything.
@Aysha: Why dont you just do your job and let ET do theirs.
Believe it or not, people living in Karachi know better about MQM then anyone else. Me being a Muhajir myself would feel safe living in Lahore or Islamabad. Karachi is densely populated with street thugs.
I dont understand why people support MQM. I know that they have got some genius people in the party but the overall situation of them is very bad.
People were slaughtered, mobile snatching, you name the crime and Karachi has suffered through it.
Cheif Justice, Army Chief, all others are ignoring Karachi. This is 200% true.
Altaf Altaf, we love you!
Though I am very critic of MQM but I don't support this case. We should not blame a political party as enemy. And also I believe the case will not continue as Altaf Hussain doesn't hold any MQM post legally. He is British, the case cannot be hear against him in Pakistan. The more proactive approach would be to ask the government to facilitate the Scotland Yard, who wanted to come Pakistan to gather evidence in Imran Khan case (11 May 2007).
@M Uzair: As odious as Altaf Husain may be, but ET is within journalistic bounds to use "alleged," because as long as it is not proven in court, it remains an allegation.
@Aysha: Kudos to your super comment. When the Baloch nationalist talk of separation, the whole nation is numb because no ones interests lie there. But when Altaf gives a rhetorical statement for separation, they can't take it in cause Karachi is like a golden egg to them. You can't beat and eat this city while the owners of the city remain silent. A new wave will start and common Karachites should rise against the injustice.
he can just think nothing will happend
he is just trying to safe his side. no one can stop this man even govt and army?
@ZYZE ( U.K ): MQM ideology; empowerment of oppressed people equal rights to minority or do away with the term 'minority' equal rights for women (not sign a contract to say women will not vote in 2013 election, PTI a signatory) Zero tolerance for Taliban, when they kill our soldiers and civilians
rest you can read at mqm.org hope you find this useful@SHAH: Can you please inform the whole world , what is your ideology...!!!!!!
@Aysha: You are a piece of work!
@SHAH: what ideology
Should Rt Hon. Zafarullah not start court proceedings first to prosecute late Mujiburrehman for committing act of treason for separating East Pakistan from Pakistan? If the government of Pakistan has accepted that it was NOT an act of treason to separate East Pakistan then most likely there will be no case to answer for anyone for something that has not happened or even been started by anyone.
Keep dreaming, this poor tactics cannot detract us from our ideology.
Keep dreaming, nothing gonna happen. Poor tactics cannot stop MQM.
Supreme court will have to tread very carefully, otherwise there will be many Balauch and other nationalist leaders who have unequivocally demanded independence from Pakistan who could be tried through the same process.
In this case it is important to remember that there was no demand made but a choice offered to those who were wary of MQM mandate.
It is just an open and shut case, nothing but judicial theatrics by this lawyer
Very poor general knowledge........????
what do you mean by ''allegedly threatened PTI supporters''. He did threaten PTI supporters. It's on record. Why is media afraid of him?
Brilliant. Behold another summon to the Bull on its way. He must be charged with treason.
supreme court should open all the pending cases against Altaf Hussain and his workers. Karachi is waiting for the justice.
MQM has flawn the peace and calm of Karachi. PTI took a good initiative. and NOW court must take serious action to SAVE Karachi, to SAVE Pakistan.
Supreme court is a joke and that's the only reason the Cheif is playing games here. He should take this application very seriously instead of putting up excuses to delay justice being served.
I wish they should banned for speech or everything...
Earlier this month, Altaf Hussain addressed his supporters in Karachi where he allegedly threatened Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf supporters who were protesting against rigging.emphasized text
seriously ET.... Allegedly??
even media is scared of MQM....
Kudos for Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Good initiative.
Supreme court should take this application very seriously.