Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. PHOTO: INP
Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday advised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leadership to avoid slandering national security institutions and deflecting attention away from the real issue.
Commenting on the statements of MQM chief Altaf Hussain regarding the Pakistan Army and Rangers, Chaudhry Nisar said the tirade against the two state institutions was touching intolerable levels. “This kind of language is not used against one’s own army in any country and society of the world,” he added.
The minister said the MQM has repeatedly demanded that Karachi be handed over to the army. Moreover, the MQM leadership was constantly praising the army’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism, he added. He said it was the same army with which the MQM had shared power for nine years and extracted political benefit.
The minister said it was strange that one day a statement was issued in favour of the army and the next day if any action was taken against their leadership’s wishes, condemnable language was used against the same institution.
Chaudhry Nisar said during the Rangers raid on the MQM headquarters Nine-Zero, many convicted criminals were arrested and their presence there in itself raised a big question mark. Instead of becoming answerable for this disturbing action, the MQM has started targeting the Pakistan Army in a very objectionable manner, he added.
The minister said it was in the national interest that the whole nation support the army at a time when its personnel were giving sacrifices on a daily basis in the war against militancy and terrorism and achieving successes. This kind of criticism by the MQM has raised a big question mark, he noted.
He said if the MQM’s stance was correct, then it should approach the independent judiciary and state its viewpoint within the legal limits instead of making a mockery of the law.
Chaudhry Nisar said the federal and provincial governments were supporting the Karachi operation and would not refrain from taking any step within the law to make Karachi a peaceful city. He said the action of Rangers was according to the law and the principles agreed for the Karachi operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2015.
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