KARACHI: Altaf wants phone-call tape made public: US threat to Pakistan
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 23: Founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain on Saturday demanded that recording of the controversial threatening telephone call made by US government functionary after 9/11 should be made public so that the
nation could decide between right and wrong.
Mr Hussain while commenting on the American rebuttal of threatening Pakistan with bombing as claimed by General Pervez Musharraf in his recent television interview said it was necessary because the General had not received the call himself and was informed of the conversation by a government agency.
Addressing supporters who were celebrating his 53rd birthday on Friday night in London and elsewhere, Mr Hussain said this was the first time that President Musharraf had made this disclosure that after 9/11 incident, and that talks were not only limited to “either you are with us or against us” but, in fact, government agencies informed him of the message from America that if he would not support America in war against terrorism, Pakistan will be bombarded and the entire nation would be pushed back to the stone age.
Mr Hussain said that America had issued a clarification on President Musharraf’s statement that although it had delivered a strong message, it never threatened to bombard Pakistan or destroy the whole nation.
The MQM founder said Gen Musharraf had himself not received the phone call from America and the same was provided by the government agency, the veracity of the claim must be resolved because the president while making this statement was representing the whole nation and the country. He said when the phone calls of common people were tapped, how it was possible that this American call was not recorded. It was, therefore, imperative that its recording be presented to the nation.
Mr Hussain claimed that his was the only party, which, despite being a coalition partner, took a courageous stand on Hudood Ordinance in support of women’s rights when even the big opposition parties failed to do so. He said PML(Q) with “political mullahs” made amendments to the women’s rights bill passed by the National Assembly’s select committee which were totally against Islam and teachings of Holy Quran?
He reiterated the party stand never to accept such amendments made by a few so-called mullahs to please them. He said that MQM was for equal right for women.
