Try me for treason or ban my party, I won't step down: Altaf
MQM chief's remarks come a day after he apologised for his anti-Army comments
PHOTO: TWITTER
Reacting to calls for a ban on his party and statements of pursuing legal action against him, Altaf Hussain said on Saturday whoever seeks such actions against him should do so but he will not step down as Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief.
“If you want to initiate a case of treason against me or ban my party, you may,” Altaf said, in a telephonic address.
“I won’t resign from my position as the party chief no matter what the circumstances,” the MQM chief added. “I will continue my struggle till my last breath.”
Read: Balochistan Assembly passes resolution condemning Altaf's anti-Army statement
Giving examples of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Munawer Hasan’s speech against the army, Altaf said, “There are many leaders who hurled a lot of abuses at the armed forces, but only I am being targeted for my speech.”
“I can see that efforts are being made to bar me from delivering speeches in the future,” he added.
Altaf’s statement comes a day after, he apologised if his words had “hurt national security institutions and patriotic people.” The MQM further clarified their chief did not censure the armed forces and in fact applauded the leadership of army chief General Raheel Sharif.
Read: Altaf Hussain did not criticise Pakistan Army: MQM
Altaf, while addressing his supporters via a telephonic address at Nine-Zero on late Thursday, referred to the 1971 surrender of the armed forces, using it to ask why the party was labelled as traitors when some of its members sought refuge in India after fleeing prosecution in the aftermath of the 1992 operation against them.
Read: IG Sindh suspends SSP Malir Rao Anwar after controversial press briefing
His speech came after SSP Malir Rao Anwar held a press conference on Thursday where he alleged that the MQM had ties with Indian spy agency Raw and presented two suspects who claimed they had ties with the MQM and had received weapons training in India.
On Friday, reacting to comments made by the MQM chief, Director General ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa said they were uncalled for and irresponsible.
Read: Irresponsible remarks against Pakistan Army will not be tolerated, says General Bajwa
In a tweet he called MQM chief’s speech “disgusting,” he said that reference to the army or its leadership while reacting to arrest of criminals with suspected links to political parties will not be tolerated.
“If you want to initiate a case of treason against me or ban my party, you may,” Altaf said, in a telephonic address.
“I won’t resign from my position as the party chief no matter what the circumstances,” the MQM chief added. “I will continue my struggle till my last breath.”
Read: Balochistan Assembly passes resolution condemning Altaf's anti-Army statement
Giving examples of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Munawer Hasan’s speech against the army, Altaf said, “There are many leaders who hurled a lot of abuses at the armed forces, but only I am being targeted for my speech.”
“I can see that efforts are being made to bar me from delivering speeches in the future,” he added.
Altaf’s statement comes a day after, he apologised if his words had “hurt national security institutions and patriotic people.” The MQM further clarified their chief did not censure the armed forces and in fact applauded the leadership of army chief General Raheel Sharif.
Read: Altaf Hussain did not criticise Pakistan Army: MQM
Altaf, while addressing his supporters via a telephonic address at Nine-Zero on late Thursday, referred to the 1971 surrender of the armed forces, using it to ask why the party was labelled as traitors when some of its members sought refuge in India after fleeing prosecution in the aftermath of the 1992 operation against them.
Read: IG Sindh suspends SSP Malir Rao Anwar after controversial press briefing
His speech came after SSP Malir Rao Anwar held a press conference on Thursday where he alleged that the MQM had ties with Indian spy agency Raw and presented two suspects who claimed they had ties with the MQM and had received weapons training in India.
On Friday, reacting to comments made by the MQM chief, Director General ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa said they were uncalled for and irresponsible.
Read: Irresponsible remarks against Pakistan Army will not be tolerated, says General Bajwa
In a tweet he called MQM chief’s speech “disgusting,” he said that reference to the army or its leadership while reacting to arrest of criminals with suspected links to political parties will not be tolerated.