Defaming institutions: PTI wants Altaf arrested with Interpol’s help

The party submits resolution against MQM chief for his anti-army remarks

LAHORE:

Leader of Opposition submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly on Monday against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for his remarks against the state and the armed forces.

The resolution calls for prosecuting Hussain on charges of treason. This is the third time since May that Mehmoodur Rasheed has submitted a resolution against the MQM chief.

The resolution accuses Hussain of repeatedly delivering speeches against the state and national institutions, including Pakistan Army. It condemns him for urging India to use force against Pakistan.

It criticises the MQM chief for urging party workers to reach out to international organisations, including the NATO and the United Nations, to intervene in the state’s affairs.

In the resolution, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has demanded that the federal government arrest Hussain with help from Interpol. The resolution praises the security institutions, including the army and the Rangers, for rendering sacrifices in the country’s war on terrorism.

“The army and the Rangers have made invaluable sacrifices to bring about peace in the country,” Rasheed said after submitting the resolution with the Assembly Secretariat.

In a recent address to party workers in the United States, the MQM chief had asked them to appeal to the UN and the NATO to send troops to Karachi to determine facts behind the killings of muhajirs.

Rasheed had submitted a similar resolution in July, requesting the authorities to arrest Hussain with help from Interpol. Earlier, the party had submitted a resolution in May accusing the MQM chief of making disparaging remarks against the armed forces.

In June, the assembly had unanimously passed a resolution expressing concern over the allegations made in a BBC report about the MQM receiving funds from India.

Adjournment motion on floods

Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Provincial Assembly Sibtain Khan has submitted an adjournment motion in the Assembly Secretariat accusing the government of failing to take preventive steps to limit the devastation caused by floods.

The motion says that floods have caused massive devastations in Mianwali. It says that like previous years, the government had not prepared this year to deal with floods. It says that there is no evidence that the government took any preventive measures. The government, the motion says, has mentioned expense of billions of rupees under the heads of preventive measures. It demands that the provincial government form a comprehensive policy to deal effectively with floods.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2015.