MQM does not want any confrontation with army: Altaf Hussain

MQM chief says he has reservations over the way the raid on Nine-Zero was conducted, not the raid itself

KARACHI: A day after Rangers filed an FIR against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for threatening their officials; the party leader said he does not want to fight with the armed forces.

“I don’t want to fight with the army or engage in confrontation with them…don’t consider me your enemy or a traitor,” said Altaf while addressing his workers on the occasion of MQM’s 31st Foundation Day at the Jinnah Ground on Wednesday evening.

The MQM chief said he never threatened the Rangers, but if they take it as a threat, they should take action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan who has also given threats to the LEAs, asking his “tigers to beat up the police”.

The MQM chief criticised politicians, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying that if they were allowed to keep weapons, why were the MQM blamed for keeping licensed weapons.

“The PML-N has been screaming that weapons were found from Nine-Zero. Wasn’t it their party which trained Gullu Butts.”

He asked why the army had not taken notice of firing conducted by the PML-N when they won the elections.

The MQM chief said Fazlur Rehman’s vehicle is laden with weapons, Mehmood Achakzai carries guns, and one leader of the ANP carried rifles and Kalashnikovs.

Altaf reiterated that all the weapons recovered during the Nine-Zero operation were licensed.

“I have no issues that the raid was conducted at Nine-Zero, but the way it was conducted. They should have brought a magistrate, a search warrant. For searching my sister’s home, they should have brought a lady searcher.”

The MQM leader said if parties claimed to be pro-democratic; why did they approve the military courts.

He told his workers to carry on his movement, even once he is gone, saying this was his will.