PTI leader demands suo motu notice of Altaf’s speeches

Zaidi had earlier written to the army chief demanding a ban on the MQM

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf senior leader Ali Zaidi in a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Thursday, raised several questions, including not taking suo motu notice, on anti-state statements made by MQM supremo Altaf Hussain.

Zaidi had earlier written a letter to the army chief demanding a ban on the MQM. The PTI leader, who has claimed to have written this letter in his individual capacity, wrote that, “I must appreciate that it was also the honourable Supreme Court that took suo motu notice on the Karachi law and order situation in 2011, hearings of which continue to this day.”

He added that in the same case, the Supreme Court had observed that there were militant wings in the majority of political parties operating in the metropolis, including the largest party of Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Zaidi asked: why was not a single suo motu notice taken against anti-state speeches made by MQM’s founder and leader Altaf Hussain and other MQM party leaders while they also continued with militancy.

While mentioning the release of several criminals from lower courts, Zaidi said that law-enforcement agencies — especially Sindh Rangers — have done a tremendous job in bringing the crime rate down, but it is a sad reality and gives us an impression that our lower courts are incompetent to act and prosecute criminals.

Zaidi not only focused on the MQM this time but also demanded the chief justice to take suo motu notice against the delay in the ‘Model Town incident’ commission report of Justice Baqir and why the justice was not provided to the victims.

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