Hard choices: Martial law better than military courts, says Altaf Hussain

Urges army chief to take over the reins of the country for two years


Rabia Ali December 25, 2014

KARACHI: Opposing the establishment of military courts, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday said imposing martial law was a much better option and called on the army chief to take the reins of the country for two years.

“If an undemocratic path has to be taken then martial law should be imposed in the country,” he said while addressing journalists, religious scholars and members of his party’s Rabita Committee at Karachi’s Lal Qila ground.

The MQM Rabita Committee had voiced similar sentiments earlier in the day, saying the party could support military rule for the security of citizens and the elimination of terrorism, but it would not support military courts at any cost. It also said that if the civilian government has failed to tackle terrorism, it should step down.



Altaf – who in August this year had urged the army to take ‘unpleasant steps’ to save the country while stressing he did not support martial law – this time outright called on army chief General Raheel Sharif to take control of the country for two years. He said that he had witnessed martial law several times and could see it imposed one more time.

“We need such martial law where anyone who has looted the country should be held accountable,” he said. “Even I should be questioned if I have robbed anyone.”

However, the MQM chief said the army could not save Pakistan alone. “The country can only be saved if the entire nation supports the army.”

Altaf lashed out at the chief cleric of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, calling him ‘leader of hypocrites’. He urged the army and intelligence agencies to act against madrassas which were loaded with weapons and were training suicide bombers.

On the other hand, the MQM chief said that while people raise questions against his party, no one talked about parties which minted money while in power and then moved the wealth to Switzerland or the Middle East or elsewhere.

He said just as Sindh was branded a traitor despite being the province that passed a resolution in favour of Pakistan, Mohajirs were branded traitors even though they sacrificed everything to migrate to Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2014.

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