‘Foreign nationals’: Petition filed to stop Qadri, Altaf Hussain
‘MQM, Awani Tehrik want to delay elections and destabilise Pakistan’.
LAHORE:
A petition has been filed in the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court, asking the court to stop Tahirul Qadri and Altaf Hussain from political activities in Pakistan because they are both “foreign nationals and unable to become members of parliament”.
Watan Party chairman Zafarullah Khan has filed the petition, which names the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik as parties headed by foreign nationals. Hussain heads the former and is a UK national while the latter is headed by Qadri, a Canadian national. Khan says in the petition that they no longer have allegiance with Pakistan but are functioning on foreign dictates.
The petitioner has said that Qadri is not a “sagacious, righteous and honest man” – the qualities that a man who wishes to be elected to public office should have as laid down by Article 62 of the Constitution. In 1990, Justice Akhtar Hassan Commission had found that Qadri had arranged an alleged murder attack on himself and had then accused the Punjab government of doing so, Khan has said in the petition.
Qadri, the petition says, is now threatening to bring down a democratic set up. By doing so, he is violating Articles 6, 8, 9, 62, 17, and 67 of the constitution, says Khan. The petition states that Qadri has committed treason by “inciting” the army and “inviting” the judiciary to be part of the caretaker set up.
The petition asks Qadri to denounce the foreign nationality and stop his “foreign-funded” NGO Minhajul Quran to prove his loyalty to Pakistan. He can then register his political party, submit its accounts and hold intra-party elections.
Khan has alleged that both ‘foreign funded’ political parties were trying to destabelise Pakistan. Their efforts, he said, would delay the elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2013.
A petition has been filed in the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court, asking the court to stop Tahirul Qadri and Altaf Hussain from political activities in Pakistan because they are both “foreign nationals and unable to become members of parliament”.
Watan Party chairman Zafarullah Khan has filed the petition, which names the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik as parties headed by foreign nationals. Hussain heads the former and is a UK national while the latter is headed by Qadri, a Canadian national. Khan says in the petition that they no longer have allegiance with Pakistan but are functioning on foreign dictates.
The petitioner has said that Qadri is not a “sagacious, righteous and honest man” – the qualities that a man who wishes to be elected to public office should have as laid down by Article 62 of the Constitution. In 1990, Justice Akhtar Hassan Commission had found that Qadri had arranged an alleged murder attack on himself and had then accused the Punjab government of doing so, Khan has said in the petition.
Qadri, the petition says, is now threatening to bring down a democratic set up. By doing so, he is violating Articles 6, 8, 9, 62, 17, and 67 of the constitution, says Khan. The petition states that Qadri has committed treason by “inciting” the army and “inviting” the judiciary to be part of the caretaker set up.
The petition asks Qadri to denounce the foreign nationality and stop his “foreign-funded” NGO Minhajul Quran to prove his loyalty to Pakistan. He can then register his political party, submit its accounts and hold intra-party elections.
Khan has alleged that both ‘foreign funded’ political parties were trying to destabelise Pakistan. Their efforts, he said, would delay the elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2013.