Pakistan

US envoy visits MQM headquarters

US Ambassador Anne Patterson calls on MQM leaders to condole over MQM convener Dr Imran Farooq’s murder in London.

Express September 27, 2010

KARACHI:

US Ambassador Anne Patterson called on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders at the party’s headquarters here on Monday to offer condolences over the recent murder of party convener Dr Imran Farooq in London.

During Patterson’s visit to Nine-Zero, she met senior leaders of the party and condemned the murder of the MQM convener.The murder is beinginvestigated by Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism branch because of the political dimension to the killing.

The party’s deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar said in the meeting that the burial of Dr Imran Farooq will be decided with the consent of his family. He also shared concerns over party chief Altaf Hussain’s security with the envoy. Earlier on Sunday, MQM chief Altaf Hussain asked his followers “to prepare themselves as powerful quarters have started moving against me. They want to remove Altaf Hussain from your fold”.

In an online message addressed to “comrades of the movement”, he accused “international power brokers of using powerful state institutions like the army, Inter-Services Intelligence and other government agencies to suppress the philosophy of Altaf Hussain” and said that after having failed to do so despite “hatching conspiracies, unleashing a reign of brutality and terror and killing thousands of comrades, the Pakistani establishment, aided by other powerful nations, is trying to eliminate Altaf Hussain”.

In the same meeting with Patterson, Sattar expressed concern over the US court’s verdict against Dr Aafia Siddiqui, demanding her release.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2010.

COMMENTS (7)

Liaquat Ali | 14 years ago | Reply Only a very naive political observer thinks that an American ex-Ambassador to Pakistan just goes back to Washington and spends rest of his/her diplomatic years totally disconnected from Pakistan. After the new Ambassador takes charge, Ms. Patterson will not only guide him, but also will make herself available to a range of American think tanks and government agencies in the years to come.

Tanzeel | 14 years ago | Reply Ambassador Cameron Munter is set to become the next US ambassador to Pakistan, replacing Anne Patterson who has completed her tenure. It was a farewell visit by Anne Peterson to Karachi where she held farewell meetings with Governor and CM Sindh. In the mean time she paid condolence at Ninezero as well. Thank you!

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Liaquat Ali | 14 years ago | Reply In some minds, a US diplomat’s visit is only important when he/she visits Raiwind. Everything else is just ho hum. The MQM has relationship with Ann Patterson from the day she was confirmed as the Ambassador to Pakistan and had not even arrived to Pakistan yet. Check this out: http://www.mqmusa.com/Units/Central/AnnWood.htm

Liaquat Ali | 14 years ago | Reply Please be watchful of the journalistic slight of hand. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/26/pakistan-imran-farooq-murder-mqm The very first sentence of the news report clearly shows Guardian’s journalistic slight of hand. It is NOT the conclusion of the Scotland Yard investigation. It is what is being told to Scotland Yard. Again, read the very first sentence carefully. “The Scotland Yard investigation into the murder in London of the leading Pakistani politician Dr Imran Farooq has been told that rows within his own party may have led to his assassination.” Everything is still the continuation of the speculation that was started in Islamabad minutes after the murder. Check this out. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/17/assassinated-115875-22567141/ Mirror claims that "Within minutes of the death of Dr Farooq - a leading member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which means United National Movement - websites in Islamabad were awash with claims he had been assassinated or killed by his own bodyguard" Where did these people in Islamabad get the detailed lowdown on the murder in minutes? They don't. It is a knee-jerk reaction against the MQM that is ingrained in some minds.

I Salim | 14 years ago | Reply I agree with Natasha. US ambassador visits Nine Zero just a day after MQM announced that it will hold rally for Dr Aafia's release on Tuesday.

Natasha | 14 years ago | Reply It took her more than 10 days to travel to Karachi? I don't see it as 'just-another-visist' by a diplomat.

watchdog from UK | 14 years ago | Reply The visit to Nine Zero by the US Ambassador carries no significance. The diplomats keep visiting political party offices in Pakistan. This does not, in any sense, means Altaf Hussain is off the hook. There may be one result from this visit that MQM's leader will now scale down so called anti-US stand which they have started taking since last few days. The Tribune is repeatedly referring to the British newspaper (Observer/Guardian) report published yesterday because The Tribune knows very well about the authenticity of it. The report quotes 'Scotland Yard source' about internal strife in the MQM.

Replying to X