MQM chief Altaf Hussain PHOTO: MQM
Altaf was speaking to members of the interim Rabita Committee and other party workers.
“I never taught MQM workers to take bribes, be corrupt or put undue pressure on people for favours,” he said.
Addressing the issue of his stay away from home, Altaf told his party members that his family members went abroad to save their lives.
He said his family worked hard while living in a foreign land.
Delving more into his family and political affairs, the MQM chief said he never favoured his family with gains from his political movement.
“I did not give party tickets to my relatives in elections,” he added.
COMMENTS (65)
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I would like to than PTI and Imran Khan for this turnaround in the attitude of Altaf Hussain. Altaf Hussain has put himself out there for his Party. I did not hear that Nawaz Sharif saying anything to his Party member to keep them away from wrong Path. Pres. Zardari did not even spoke to his party members ever since he moved into Presidential House. Altaf Hussain just feels like "Better late than never". I am happy that MQM is reforming itself and come back to Party core value of service to people without pride and prejudice.
@farooq: hmmm. MQM never took our "Qurbani ke khaalen" at gunpoint. We always donated to local masjids and that is exactly what we told MQM workers when they would show up at our house.
@Shah (Berlin): Probably the same way you do in Berlin. I'm assuming that is where you reside. :S
@Khan Jr: So you are implying that somehow all Pakistanis living abroad afford comfort and sustenance by carrying out extortion and bribes in Pak? You've got to be kidding me.
@PakArmySoldier:
Oh, you ask the question of how he is able to live abroad? Perhaps the answer is: like any of your relative living abroad?
I don't understand what is it with The Express Tribune, they keep on regurgitating this article and it seems that some one is so sympathetic to the Mr.Hussain that their bias behavior is showing up on these pages. I also noticed that if some one is harsh with in bounds on Mr.Hussain then they don't publish the comments. It has happened to me several times. And by the way we could not care less what he does, he should come to Pakistan and face the law of the land.
“I did not give party tickets to my relatives in elections,” this is true ^^ and why media make parody against him media should make parody of those politicians who held official offices of state or government he never try to elected himself as a mna mpa.. so then media should stop make fun of herself
lolz
@Aysha: What a wonderful way of telling mqm story i u certainly deserve praise i also hope and wish the very best for the thriller named mqm its inception on the lawns of ku was the unique beginning in pakistani scenario where all other parties were born in high drwing rooms even our 60 year old young man was 43 when our nrewst party was born yet again in a luxry drwaing room
Please let them loose you. You are no one to be valued. Terrorist of highest order..... Leave Karachi and Pakistan. Bpth will be better off without you!
Two misray form different shairs for Altaf bhai :)
Is sadgi pe kon na mer jaey aey Khuda
Zulm phir zulm hai, barhta hai tau mit jaataa hai
Good soul searching by MQM. They should come out of this exercise stronger and more transparent...
Thanks for the goodbye note!
Let us be honest. Are there any parties, political workers or leaders that can come close to MQM ones on the openness, accountability, acceptance of wrongdoings and need for reforms? No other party or leader can dare to do these things. On the other hand, what MQM has to realise and act accordingly is that perception is stronger than reality. Most of the comments here are based on perception righty or wrongly. MQM has to improve its image and reputation.
Altaf bhai says: "I never taught MQM workers ...................................."
I never taught ???????????
Ayotollah never said something similar. Even Appa and Ammi do not say such to their children in their homes these days.
However, looks like things are not going good for MQM.
Workers: please don't change..
Why dont u reform yourself?
Altafbhai, everyday at least one MQM member is gunned down in Karachi. Pakistan was created for the Muslim UMMAH. The UK was not created for the UMMAH. Come back and be a real MAN. The Government will supply you with security if that is the issue.
Even Al Pachino was not so emotional as godfather. I feel like crying ( sarcasm intended ).
Awwww so sweet so now that he sees his political career crumbling right before hs eyes thanks to the PTI jialas, Altaf bhai is eyeing acting as a post politics career.
They definitely shouldn't reform themselves.
The sooner the better. ;)
I have been out of Pakistan but I think the Mustafa Kamal tenure was not too bad for Karachi. I don't remember that many target killings in his time and things weren't as bad as the last 5 years. MQM might be thinking that if they don't deliver in the next 5 years then people will most likely vote for PTI. I think this should be a good news for the people of Karachi as they are tired of all the lawlessness and they want change.
"If my party workers fail to reform themselves, they will lose me as their leader forever" Allah ki qasm?
finally MQM leadership admits that they take bribes, bhatta, resort to terror.
Thanks to PTI ...
Though its quite late to act, but still this may prove beneficial I hope so. At-least AH has the guts to grab his own party workers necks. None like others who love to play dirty politics. Good way to reform party but its hi-time that AH comes back to khi and head his party directly so haters can get a reason to zip up their mouths.
''He said his family worked hard while living in a forgein land', Sir what exactly are you doing to earn your livelihood in London?
Things shall improve fingers crossed.
@Karachite: Now the time has come to shatter the myth or at east except that the people of other parts of this country are as patriotic, educated, humbled, civilized and soft spoken as those the people of Karachi.
Ta ta bye bye.
What a nice man...Did he go to Hajj recently ?
@Potter: My dear potter, don't be so sentimental, please refer to the speeches IK made in Lahore against NS and now they have met and forgiven each other. I bet IK would forget every thing few days from now since he knows its a long way to go. Its politics.
@Adnan Khan: The change in headline reconfirm my comment!!!
Baby face.......!!!!
ET. Why the change in headline? URL dekho
ET you are so pro-MQM. Every news item pertaining to them is made into such a positive sounding headline. Not very professional.
we didn't forget your last 2 speeches for media and teen talwaar sit-in people.
What can I say about this? I will keep mum as our political class thinks that we are ultra fool and gullible.
just realised...MQM & AH bhai....when people woke up after getting fed up for the last 5 years of killings etc; in karachi being in govt but cud do nothing to put a STOIP to such brutalities and economic hardships....if there is no employment etc; people and especially youngsters will turn to violent means to run their families....MQM & AH bhai realised when people turned to other political parties for relief and analysed reasons for loosing many seats in election.....
Good that Altaf Husain is trying to start a serious process of accountability within MQM; it's great to see him and his party leaders doing some introspection and one can be certain that it'd do a lot of good. Best wishes and God speed to MQM and Altaf Husain and his associates and all those millions who support and vote MQM. I wish that there were other 'political partys' and their 'owner leaders' who would also make some serious effort to cleanse the rot and dirt from within their 'politico-business-enterprises'.
Well, when you lose your monitoring they learn it by themselves. And it is a reality that they all have learnt it to some extent, even the beloved Mustafa Kamal, let alone Shakil Umer or Babar Ghouri.
All need to be corrected. You can do it yourself or just leave it to the Khan of MQM, he will be very happy to do the leftover cleansing of the Party.
Bohat der ki meharban atay atay.
will ur workers return back all the amount taken as bribes, undue favor and over and above BHATTA; FITRA and QURBANI KI KHALEIN taken at gun point.
The way Altaf Bhai is building up a case I have a feeling that Altaf Bhai will be taking retirement from politic (it will be temporarily only, as he did some years ago) and will announce his decision very soon. I will not go into the reasons!!!
Definitely the most hilarious joke of my life!!!!!!!!
too late ... time to get ready for the cuffs
MQM is such an action packed thriller, edge of the seat story. They never cease to amaze you, and still going strong 30 years down their inception. From their beginning at the university lawn, their leader who is altruism personified, (and not forget his singing prowess which he is quite keen to demonstrate time and again) to nominating a 27 year old mayor of the metropolis, and scores of their young , energetic, mature and dedicated leaders, to surviving military operation unleashed on them in the 90s, to muft bazaar, to Mustafa kamal phenomenon, to winning seats in Kashmir, to producing shadow budget, land reforms bills, unequivocally opposing Taliban, to women Jalsa, to giving a jab to coalition partners when they are out of line, shooting down horrendous bills in the assembly and now restructuring of the party, so soon after elections. This party just doesn’t seem to get any sleep, no form of media can ignore its presence, MQM sells! Best wishes to the new process underway, hope it bears results both, for the party and at national level.
Oh come on give us a break.
Major overhaul has some serious reason. Anyway, if the current set up was responsible for the poor performance last 5 years, then it should be removed and more sensible people brought in. As far as the media, thank you ET for giving a balanced media coverage to AH and MQM.
Look what the mess u have created. The once patriotic, educated, humbled, civilized and soft spoken people of Karachi are today recognized as pan gutka chewing, illiterate, brutal, corrupt and unpatriotic gangsters. Who can not talk without abusive and threatening and even killing their opponents. See, this is the result of ur policy of hatred. Yes, there were of course some injustice and biased attitude towards children of mohajirs. But is it not the case with Sindhis, Balochis, Saraikis and so on. Yes there is no harm in nationalist politics as number of parties are doing. But have they become mafias. U could work for ur community which overwhelmingly supported u. But instead u focused on flaming hatred and throwing destruction on all those how opposed u even ur own people. Karachi gave u power so that u solve their problems. But u convert Karachi in to your kingdom and a party in to mafia where no one dare the speak against u or your mafia goons. Even ur own workers r afraid of each other that if they dared to speak against u, they have to pay ultimate price. Dont get confused about who voted against u in ur strongholds. People of Karachi have suffered enough from the hands of monster they had themselves created. Things have changed. If u don't change ur ways even now, u will become history soon.
And he's also not lying. He didn't teach. He just asked.
And he also tolerated this behavior in his party for so many years. I ask Why?
You don't say.....
Never thought Altaf Hussain could be this Innocent.
Dear Altaf bhai,
so how do you support yourself in London.....
Secondly I know you didnt teach them corruption...MQM only hires ppl with experience..!!!
Why is ET publishing false claims by Altaf Hussain?
It's like publishing Bush saying again and again that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.
so what did you teach them ?????
Mate nice try but its not going to work. time to pack up from Karachi.
This is such a farce. He knows it all too well that his workers engage in extortion and bribes to finance his lifestyle in Britain. How else could he afford to live in London and its surroundings?
So we can say, somethings comes naturally to MQM workers
Joke of the decade
How innocent of him!
His workers have been taking bribe since their dawn......it's nothing new...... He is just trying on some old, rotten face saving tactics which a common person is very well aware of.......so Mr. Innocent AH it's all in vein
I speak to peple of Karachi and they have given me a first hand account of what people carried out in the name of MQM...Even if you were innocent, enough was not done to remove these issues...Insallah you have realised this by taking these steps over the last few days which is more than other establised parties...PPP with Aman Committee reversals...ANP did not remove the image they are followers of USA...PMLN did not get rid of Potwari culture....JUIF still have a motto of 'Its all about the power aka money'....
So where was the money, providing him comfort and sustenance in the UK, coming from?
So cute. That's why you are the most lovable and famous party in Karachi.