Resentment: More FIRs lodged against Altaf Hussain across country

Complaints also filed against Zardari, Bilawal over ‘threatening army’

DERA GHAZI KHAN/ MULTAN/ PESHAWAR/ HYDERABAD/ LAHORE/ KARACHI: The stream of FIRs being registered against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain since Monday night seems to have gained momentum and engulfed more MQM members as well as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chief Asif Ali Zardari.

At least 36 more cases were registered under sections pertaining to terrorism and criminal intimidation over Altaf’s July 12 speech, in which he allegedly used derogatory language against the armed forces and the paramilitary Rangers. Up to 30 FIRs have already been filed earlier.

Ten cases were filed against the MQM chief at different police stations across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Three cases were lodged in Malakand Division, and one each in Saidu Sharif, Dera Ismail Khan, Jammu and Kohat.

In Swat, three men filed separate cases against Altaf as well as MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Wasay Jalil. The Mingora Circle DSP said warrants for arresting the accused had been issued.

At least seven FIRs were registered against the MQM chief in Karachi at the Gadap, Sachal, Steel Town, Bin Qasim, Sukhan and Malir Cantonment police stations.



Citizens filed their complaints against Altaf as well as other MQM leaders – including Farooq Sattar, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Waseem Akhtar, Saif Yar Khan, Aslam Mumtaz, Tayyab Hashmi, Zameerul Haq, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Kazim Raza, Kamran Ahmad, Kamran Usmani, Rehman Hashmi, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Rauf Siddiqui, Aslam Mumtaz, Salman Mujahid Baloch, Kaiful Vara, Qamar Mansoor, M Arif, Noor Jan Zaidi and Zahida Begum.

In Lahore, three FIRs were filed against the MQM chief. A lawyer lodged his complaint at the Old Anarkali police station, a former government employee filed his at the Sattokatla police station, while a citizen registered his at the Shalimar police station.

In Multan, three high treason cases were registered against Altaf at the Cantonment, Delhi Gate and Chylyak police stations.

Legal experts say the next step would be to submit a challan in an anti-terrorism court or a special military court to declare the MQM chief a proclaimed offender because he is living abroad.

Complaints have also been registered in Jhang, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Vehari, Sadiqabad and Sahiwal.

A lawyer and a citizen filed a case each in Dadu against the MQM chief, while another FIR was lodged at the Kunri police station in Umerkot on the complaint of a citizen.

The Saddar police in Dera Ghazi Khan registered an FIR against Altaf under terrorism charges as well as under the Telegraph Act. A citizen filed his complaint in the suburban area of Jhok Yar Shah.

The City police station in Attock registered an FIR against Altaf on the complaint of a citizen. The complainant stated that “we are citizens of Pakistan and have great respect for our defence forces and law enforcement agencies”.

Complaint against PPP

A citizen filed a complaint against PPP Chairman Bilawal and Co-chairman Asif Zardari at the Mughalpura police station in Lahore.

The complainant said Zardari had delivered a provocative speech against the army after consulting with his children Bilawal and Aseefa, as well as party leaders Sherry Rehman, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others.

He said the PPP co-chief had openly hurled threats at the army and used derogatory language against the armed forces, adding that the accused should be arrested and suitable action taken against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2015.