Countering allegations: MQM denounces cleric’s statements against party chief

Party leaders have registered an FIR against Maulana Abdul Aziz.

KARACHI:

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has registered a case against the chief cleric of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, for issuing threatening statements against the party chief, Altaf Hussain, in a recent video message.

The FIR, No. 304/14, was registered at the Azizabad police station of District Central, Karachi, on Sunday, and includes sections relating to provocation, terrorism and cybercrime. The police registered the case on the complaint of MQM leader, advocate Arif Khan. Several party leaders, including Haider Abbas Rizvi, Amir Khan and Dr Farooq Sattar, accompanied Arif Khan during the registration of the FIR at the police station. The leaders said that Maulana Abdul Aziz had issued threats against Altaf Hussain in a video message.



Earlier, Maulana Abdul Aziz, had lashed out at the MQM chief Altaf Hussain for his statement to demolish Jamia Hafsa. In the video message, Aziz said that if Altaf Hussain had the courage, he would be in Pakistan while speaking against the Lal Masjid.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Azizabad SHO Asim Rehman confirmed the registration of the FIR and that the Lal Masjid cleric, Maulana Abdul Aziz, was nominated in the case. The officer added that the police have initiated investigations on their part.

The MQM chief had earlier called for Aziz to be arrested for 'sympathising with the Taliban' and had demanded the army to close down the Jamia Hafsa seminary. The Lal Masjid cleric had once again landed in hot water after he allegedly refused to condemn the Peshawar school attack which left at least 132 schoolchildren dead. Police in Islamabad registered a case against him following a protracted protest by members of the civil society against his controversial statement.

Protests

Meanwhile, workers and supporters of the party took to the streets to protest the statement by the cleric. A large number of workers gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday evening where they shouted slogans against Maulana Aziz and expressed outrage at his statement. Besides the gathering in the party's stronghold city of Karachi, several rallies and demonstrations were held in other parts of Sindh as well as Peshawar.

Addressing the rally outside the KPC, party leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said that Maulana Abdul Aziz had threatened to hurt Altaf Hussain and the party workers were enraged over this. "Altaf Hussain has more than 20,000 diehard workers and the language Maulana used for him was derogatory."

He added that Altaf Hussain had always denounced terrorism and spoken for the oppressed segment of the society. "We condemn Maulana Abdul Aziz as much as we condemn the Taliban."

MQM MPA Faisal Sabzwari added that this was not the first time their party leader had been threatened. "Everybody knows the character of the man who threatened Altaf Hussain," he said. "Militants need to be eliminated to save Pakistan. We are standing with our army and with each and every deprived person from Karachi to Khyber."

MQM’s Qamar Mansoor urged that the crackdown against militants should be expanded across the country. "What we need is decisive action against the Taliban."

Condemning Maulana Aziz's statement, Mansoor demanded to book the Lal Masjid cleric under Article 6 which pertains to treason.

Former federal minister Babar Ghauri added that political parties needed to develop a clear stance against militancy. "Simply making committees will not yield any substantial results."

In a statement, the MQM's Rabita Committee had also urged the Army chief, General Raheel Sharif, Inter-Services Intelligence director general Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar to book Maulana Abdul Aziz for abetting Taliban militants.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2014.