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MQM Foundation Day: Altaf holds Punjab govt responsible for Davis’ release

Hussain says the US should pay compensation to heirs of all those killed in drone attacks in North Waziristan.

Irfan Aligi March 19, 2011

KARACHI:

The Punjab government is responsible for the release of Raymond Davis because the incident took place in Lahore and the provincial government was prosecuting the case, chief of the Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain said on Friday.

Addressing a large gathering of party workers on the occasion of his party’s 27th Foundation Day, he said, “The US should pay compensation to the heirs of innocent citizens killed in drone attacks in North Waziristan just as it paid blood money to secure the release of (Raymond) Davis in accordance with the Shariah.”

Urging the US administration officials to heed the calls of other Pakistanis, Hussain said: “Dr Aafia Siddiqui did not murder anyone, but she is in jail. If the US is willing, the Pakistani nation may pay Rs180 million to get her free”.

He questioned the logic of the Punjab government for criticising him for doing politics from abroad and said they should know that he had never said or done anything against national dignity. However, he said, people saw that the rulers of Punjab opted not to stay in the country whenever confronted with major issues like the release of Raymond Davis or other crisis.

Laying the blame squarely on the doorstep of the Punjab government, he asked why the Punjab government failed to ensure that the case reached a logical conclusion. He also asked why Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had gone abroad just like his elder brother the same day when Raymond Davis was freed.

He said that today people claim that Raymond Davis’ was released after the grieving families were paid compensation money. If that was true, the US had many such debts to settle.

He said that it is the duty of all Pakistanis that they should not only hold the Pakistan Army or the ISI responsible for the deal, adding that they should also wonder why Pakistani rulers had been unable to face the pressure exerted by the US administration.

Expressing frustration at Pakistani people for electing “weak rulers” again and again with their votes, he said that they should now vote for MQM instead of hardened politicians.

He urged the US administration to note that the game of musical chairs in Pakistan, which empowered selective politicians, was going to end, replaced by respectable “Haq Parast Pakistanis”.

He said that fate and the divine had also ordained that his party should now rule the country.

Hussein simultaneously addressed MQM workers on phone in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Tando Allahyar, Sanghar and Lahore. He congratulated workers of MQM from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir who attended various party functions on the occassion.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (13)

Tanzeel | 13 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Don't mislead readers, here is philosophy behind his speech in Delhi. http://tanzeel.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/touching-on-taboo-partition-a-blunder/

Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply This is coming from the very man who decried Pakistan's sovereignty in 2004 and claimed the subcontinent should have been 'united.' He exposed his treasonous colors in New Delhi in the enemy's ground.

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Abbas Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Altaf Bhai Jaan, its not Punjab government, your favourite patriot Generals are responsible. It was tussle between ISI and CIA. The later were not following rules set by ISI, therefore time had come to teach them a lesson. ISI found opportunity in Davis and rest is history. Your second most favourite general got two years extension, all matters between two friendly agencies are settled, the so called victim families got millions. Sir, please don't lie, call spade a spade, bigger lie would only be, if Nawaz Sharif blames his heart attack on Davis freedom, or I blame my headaches on your speeches.

Kala Butt | 13 years ago | Reply We appreciate Altaf Bhai is worried about Pakistan, sitting Ten Thousand Kilometers away from Pakistan - for last 18 years !!! Please inform when do you plan to come to your * beloved * country.

Independent from UK | 13 years ago | Reply Here we go again. same gathering. Different topic. Sometimes "Shaheed" day, sometimes address to 'professionals' and now yesterday's thunder from Edgware Road London. The media including The Tribune are most obedient servants and they including TV channels must give foremost importance to this 'lion' whose roars are nothing but raves and rants. The TV channels must telecast his speech even people get disgusted and bored by his philosophies. Imagine if a TV channel does not telecast live speech of the supremo? Imagine what can happen is not difficult to guess.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply I am fully agreed with the stance taken by the party leader. Yes, okay, we are ready to pay money for releasing Aafia, notwithstanding the fact that she is not killer but awarded long sentence, American looks not ready for bargain on it In fact, our leadership has been failed in negotiation and convincing the American because here is no such leader who has unique credibility like Zulfiqar Ali Bhuto or Altaf Hassain.

Tanzeel | 13 years ago | Reply @Mathew: As if he only talked about Raymond Davis in his entire speech. Keep your hatred within yourself and do use your brains before commenting on issues.

Jamate Islami Supporter | 13 years ago | Reply Well said Altaf Hussain , you should call for a massive movement against the realease of Davis .Jammat e Islami and PTI bragged a few weeks back that if Davis was released there would be Semi-revolution like Egypt . They failed to mobilze the masses .

Nasir Jamal | 13 years ago | Reply @MQM-supporter: Where was this statement published? Could you please give the reference? I do not recall any such statement. I think he has been consistently saying that Raymond should be released in exchange of the of the release of Dr Aafia. People have make it a habit to criticize MQM one way or another. I was reading a comment somewhere that MQM was wrong to negotiate a reduction in fuel prices with the government. The only criticism that they can make is about Altaf Hussain's living in London. I this pointless criticism should stop. MQM has done a lot of good things. They did wonders in Karachi during their tenure in the City Government. Their elected representatives belong to the poor and middle class. There is a sitting MPA who is a line man in PTCL. There was an MPA who was newspaper seller. Ordinary people who know the problems of other people like them. Is it not a good thing? Can an ordinary man who has no money and no political background ever hope to become an MPA, MNA or Senator in our political culture. It is only the MQM that has made this possible. While everyone has a right of fair criticism but I feel that the good works done by the MQM must also be appreciated.

Hmmm | 13 years ago | Reply Did Rehman Malik address the gathering?

MQM-supporter | 13 years ago | Reply Mr. Husain, I will like to remind you your last month's statement about Raymond Davis- "America should forget about Raymond Davis, MQM will make sure that he is brought to justice". Whatever happened to that spirit.

Mathew | 13 years ago | Reply Rather than worry about the issues affecting the Pakistani people, it seems that Altaf Hussain is up to his usual games of playing petty politics and maligning other provinces. Then he wonders why no one outside of one group in Karachi takes him seriously. I'm sure he knows too that the Raymond Davis affair involved players at the highest levels in Islamabad, including the military. They did what was best in Pakistan's interests.

Nazir Habib | 13 years ago | Reply Salams Muttaheda and Altaf Bhai. Where were you and your party's words and actions when the whole issue was exploding the world over. This is a 'post facto' muted reaction. It is also like saying 'after the deed is done, what should be done with the dagger,' Your reaction is full of hindsight and does not hold any water with this voter. Salams for 2011.

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