KARACHI, Dec 24: Mohajir Qaumi Movement chairman Afaq Ahmed rejected on Tuesday the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief’s amnesty offer as a facade, and claimed Mohajirs had not forgotten the killing of hundreds of them for opposing Altaf Husain.

In a statement, the Haqiqi chief called upon Altaf Husain to “repent for his excesses against Mohajirs, accept the reality of opposition to his policies and learn to tolerate opposition.” He claimed Mohajirs had not forgotten the killing of Qadeer Qureshi, Shoaib alias Shobi and hundreds of others.

“Instead of resorting to a mockery of amnesty Altaf Husain should demonstrate tolerance towards the opponents because dissent is the driving force of democracy. Dissent should be expressed through dialogue, not by eliminating opponents,” he said.

“While the Muttahida leadership is committed to the slogan that whosoever betrays the Quaid (Altaf Husain) deserves death, the amnesty offer is just a facade and not a sincere expression of accepting the realty of dissent,” he added.

He called upon the Muttahida chief to focus on the causes of what he termed “internal contradictions within the Muttahida.”

He claimed Mohajirs had not forgotten what he alleged as Altaf Husain’s attempt to prove that Pakistan’s creation, its constitution and the two-nation theory were wrong. He also alleged that on Altaf Husain’s instructions the Muttahida legislators had, on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, called for UN forces’ intervention in Pakistan’s domestic affairs.

“The Muttahida chief cannot hoodwink Mohajirs by empty slogans after what we recently experienced during the Muttahida’s operations backed by security agencies in the so-called no-go areas,” the Haqiqi chief said.