Altaf delays ‘launch’ of ‘political drone strike’

MQM chief asks public to wait for another day or two.

KARACHI:

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has delayed the “launch” of his much-hyped “political drone attack”, urging people to wait patiently for another day or two.

“I am geared for the political drone attack but just preparing for the last stage,” he said in a statement, explaining further that he was “gathering a part or two for the attack”.

On Saturday, the MQM chief in a meeting with members of the Coordination Committee announced that he was going to “launch a political drone attack” within the next 72 hours and warned that it would create ripples in the current political scenario. “I hope that my political attack would have no counter attack. No one would be able to respond strongly to this political attack,” he said.



Political observers have been speculating that “political drone” either means that the party is parting ways with the government, or that Altaf will announce his return to Pakistan or appear in the court. MQM leaders, however, have remained tight-lipped on the issue.

An MQM spokesperson told The Express Tribune that the “political attack” had no connection with the Supreme Court’s contempt of court case against Altaf. “These are two different things. There is no connection.”



He added that the MQM did not believe in derailing the current democratic set-up. He also dismissed speculation about sweeping changes in the party’s organisational setup, adding instead that his party chief’s statement hinted at an attack on a national level, meaning it affected other political parties as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2013.