KARACHI, Nov 15: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Saturday brushed aside the allegations of collecting “bhatta” and launched a frontal attack on Jamat-i-Islami for launching a a “ malicious” campaign against the Muttahida.
Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club, MQM parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar, accompanied by some other party legislators, terming the allegations baseless and mischievous , said those who had maligned the MQM had themselves been extorting money from innocent people in the name of jihad in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kashmir.
His attack on the JI came in less than 24 hours of amity demonstrated by city Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Friday at an Iftar dinner hosted by Wasim Akhtar, provincial advisor for local government.
Dr Farooq Sattar asked the Jamaat-i-Islami to account for the money it had “swindled in the name of jihad”. He reiterated MQM’s allegations against the Jamaat leadership for inciting others to participate in jihad and not sending their kith and kin on the same mission. “Instead they sent their children to the US for education”.
Chiding religious parties’ leadership for shying away from jihad, he said when a human shield was being created to protect Iraq the MQM had sent three air tickets to the MMA leadership to personally go and become part of the shield, but they did not oblige.
He said the MQM’s stand against extortionists was evident from the fact that recently the governor had promulgated an ordinance against collecting bhatta.
Dr Farooq Sattar said it was ironic that a party one of whose Nazims slaughtered 85 goats at gunpoint had embarked on smear campaign against the MQM.
He urged the JI leadership to shun negative politics, and challenged them to bring proof, if any, in support of their contention.
To a question Dr Farooq Sattar said it was the overlapping of powers in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance that had created the impression of a conflict between the city government and the local government departments. He added the MQM had suggested certain amendments to the quarters concerned.
