Anti-Pakistan rhetoric: Senate panel proposes treason case against Altaf

Khursheed Shah against ban on MQM, wants party to function

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s standing committee on law and justice has recommended that a treason case be filed against Altaf Hussain for raising and endorsing anti-Pakistan slogans.

The panel, headed by Senator Javed Abbasi, called for express action against Altaf under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Before the meeting started, Senator Babar Awan held forth on recent statements of the MQM founder and sought answers from law ministry officials about the legal status of the case against the MQM founder.

The committee agreed to recommend lodging a case under Article 6 against Altaf Hussain. The participants also sought details of the reference sent to Britain in this regard.

“Were details of the reference filed against Altaf … discussed beforehand with the law ministry?” asked Awan, adding that all relevant developments were routinely discussed with the law ministry.

He also asked the ministry officials that the committee should be informed whether the cabinet’s approval was sought before the reference was sent.

The committee unanimously agreed that the MQM leader had used such language and he should be tried for treason.

The committee, according to him, should also be informed whether the government intends filing a reference against the party in the Supreme Court or not. “Why has the government not acted on such a serious matter?”

The chairperson gave the ministry officials a one-week deadline to furnish detailed replies to all questions asked by the committee.

Separately, Awan questioned the logic of the recent decision of the prime minister to send 22 lawmakers to different countries to shed light on the Kashmir dispute and the recent killings in the disputed area. “Sending lawmakers as envoys to fight the state’s case is bizarre,” said Awan.

PPP calls for leniency

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Thursday urged the establishment and government to allow the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) to function and not ban it.

However, he said, anyone supporting MQM founder Altaf Hussain would be considered anti-Pakistan as his diatribe against the country was “unjustified and unacceptable”.

He was talking to media in parliament. “I am not in favour of banning the MQM. I would say let us wait for six months everything will become clear,” Shah said.

He expressed the hope that MQM’s new political leadership would be able to handle the situation after it distanced itself from Altaf Hussain.

Shah said some MQM members had met him and reiterated that they did not support what Altaf had said.

Opposition bill

He also warned the government that if it scuttled the opposition’s bill on the Panama Papers in the Senate, the combined opposition might rethink its options about launching a movement.

Khursheed Shah said that a two-member delegation from Pakistan Peoples Party would participate in the PTI’s rally on September 3.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2016.