Rangers brought weapons to Nine-Zero: Altaf
MQM chief questions why only his party is being targeted
MQM leader Altaf Hussain. PHOTO: MQM
KARACHI:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has condemned the Rangers raid on his party’s headquarters claiming that the weapons shown to the media were, in fact, brought to Nine-Zero by paramilitary troops ‘hidden under blankets’.
Addressing an emotionally charged crowd at Azizabad via phone from London, Altaf questioned why no raids were being conducted against other political parties while the Supreme Court has already declared that all political parties have militant wings.
Read: Why the MQM raid was conducted today and what it means for Karachi's security
He said Karachi should be handed over to other parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami National Party and Pakistan Peoples Party, while the Rangers could take over the MQM.
He said the MQM had zero tolerance for criminals and violence, and offered to step down as party chief because the “[security] establishment cannot tolerate me”. He added that he only wanted to remain associated with Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation, the charitable wing of the MQM. “The Rabita Committee should decide the next course of action.” According to reports, the Rabita Committee is likely to announce its plan of action today [Thursday].
Read: Profile: Waqas Ali Shah left home for Nine Zero, never to return
The MQM chief also said that mistakes of a few activists were hurting the party. “The party’s image is being tarnished because of the mistakes committed by a few activists. If the arrested men were wanted [by the police], they should have gone to some other place instead of putting the majority [of workers] and Nine-Zero in danger,” he said.
Altaf claimed he had been away from the country for too many years, and if those arrested were indeed terrorists, then the Rabita Committee should have told him so.
The MQM chief also condemned the killing of party worker Waqas Shah, saying that his sacrifice would not go to waste. Altaf said PTI chairman Imran Khan had also blamed him for Zahra Shahid’s murder, but her daughter has said on social media that Imran was behind the killing.
Regarding the arrest of Faisal alias Mota, the prime accused for the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babar, MQM leaders offered different views. One leader said he had not seen Faisal and the party had no idea who he was. Another said even if Faisal had been arrested, he was detained from the nearby vicinity and not from the Khursheed Begum Secretariat or from the MQM headquarters.
Some MQM leaders believed they were being victimised for not supporting the PML-N in the Senate elections. MNA Asif Hasnain pointed out that the raid was conducted when the MQM announced support for Senator Raza Rabbani, the PPP nominee for the slot of Senate chairman.
MPA Faisal Subzwari said if they [arrested men] were terrorists, then they would have put up resistance against the Rangers which did not happen. He said the party had only licenced weapons for security purposes.
PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari condemned the raid at Nine-Zero. Late night, a five-member MQM delegation met Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to discuss the situation. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Subzwari demanded formation of a judicial commission to investigate the killing of party worker Waqas Shah during the raid.
“No one was arrested from Nine-Zero,” he said. “All the innocent men detained should be immediately released.”
The MQM claims that 106 workers have been detained by the Rangers. However, the party’s response to the detention of Aamir Khan was muted. Not much was said or demanded for his release. The Rangers had not released the detained men till the filing of this report.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2015.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has condemned the Rangers raid on his party’s headquarters claiming that the weapons shown to the media were, in fact, brought to Nine-Zero by paramilitary troops ‘hidden under blankets’.
Addressing an emotionally charged crowd at Azizabad via phone from London, Altaf questioned why no raids were being conducted against other political parties while the Supreme Court has already declared that all political parties have militant wings.
Read: Why the MQM raid was conducted today and what it means for Karachi's security
He said Karachi should be handed over to other parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami National Party and Pakistan Peoples Party, while the Rangers could take over the MQM.
He said the MQM had zero tolerance for criminals and violence, and offered to step down as party chief because the “[security] establishment cannot tolerate me”. He added that he only wanted to remain associated with Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation, the charitable wing of the MQM. “The Rabita Committee should decide the next course of action.” According to reports, the Rabita Committee is likely to announce its plan of action today [Thursday].
Read: Profile: Waqas Ali Shah left home for Nine Zero, never to return
The MQM chief also said that mistakes of a few activists were hurting the party. “The party’s image is being tarnished because of the mistakes committed by a few activists. If the arrested men were wanted [by the police], they should have gone to some other place instead of putting the majority [of workers] and Nine-Zero in danger,” he said.
Altaf claimed he had been away from the country for too many years, and if those arrested were indeed terrorists, then the Rabita Committee should have told him so.
The MQM chief also condemned the killing of party worker Waqas Shah, saying that his sacrifice would not go to waste. Altaf said PTI chairman Imran Khan had also blamed him for Zahra Shahid’s murder, but her daughter has said on social media that Imran was behind the killing.
Regarding the arrest of Faisal alias Mota, the prime accused for the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babar, MQM leaders offered different views. One leader said he had not seen Faisal and the party had no idea who he was. Another said even if Faisal had been arrested, he was detained from the nearby vicinity and not from the Khursheed Begum Secretariat or from the MQM headquarters.
Some MQM leaders believed they were being victimised for not supporting the PML-N in the Senate elections. MNA Asif Hasnain pointed out that the raid was conducted when the MQM announced support for Senator Raza Rabbani, the PPP nominee for the slot of Senate chairman.
MPA Faisal Subzwari said if they [arrested men] were terrorists, then they would have put up resistance against the Rangers which did not happen. He said the party had only licenced weapons for security purposes.
PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari condemned the raid at Nine-Zero. Late night, a five-member MQM delegation met Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to discuss the situation. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Subzwari demanded formation of a judicial commission to investigate the killing of party worker Waqas Shah during the raid.
“No one was arrested from Nine-Zero,” he said. “All the innocent men detained should be immediately released.”
The MQM claims that 106 workers have been detained by the Rangers. However, the party’s response to the detention of Aamir Khan was muted. Not much was said or demanded for his release. The Rangers had not released the detained men till the filing of this report.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2015.