May 29, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 12, 1428

LAHORE, May 28: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) fears that its chairman, Imran Khan, may not be allowed to leave for London on June 2 as a pre-emptive measure by the government to stop him from filing a case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Husain.

PTI Information Secretary Omar Cheema told Dawn on Monday there were indications the government might extend ban on Mr Khan barring him from leaving for London to pursue the case. He said the government had acted so on pressure from Husain.

A source in the Punjab government said Khan had been banned from moving out of Lahore on the request of the Sindh government. The Punjab government can extend the ban if the Sindh government desires so, according to the source.

PTI Chief Imran Khan told Dawn if the government stopped him from travelling to the United Kingdom, he would move court and hold countrywide demonstrations. He said the government on the direction of President Gen Pervez Musharraf could go to any extent against him to save Mr Husain from British courts.

He said he did not violate the Punjab government’ ban as he was a law-abiding citizen. He said the government’s action was against his civil rights.

“On Monday, I had to address the Khushab Bar Association, on Tuesday Haripur, Abotabad and Mansehra lawyers. But I am not violating the ban.”

He said he would raise the ban in the National Assembly.

Mr Khan said he had collected “valuable” evidence against Mr Husain from former interior minister Naseerullah Babar. He said several women in Karachi also told him about the atrocities the MQM chief had committed against their families.

“I am scheduled to leave for London on June 2 and will meet British parliamentarians and lawyers to inform them about the criminal record of the MQM chief. A case against him will most probably be filed by the end of next month,” Mr Khan said.

He said Mr Husain knew only he (Imran) could expose him in the UK. He said the London-based leader had held Karachi hostage and President Musharraf was fully supporting him. He said the president should take note of a MQM leader’s statement in which he had hurled death threats at him. The president must stop patronising the ‘MQM terrorists’ and order an independent inquiry into the May 12 bloodshed in Karachi, he added.

Punjab Home secretary Khusro Pervaiz was not available for comments on the possibility of barring Mr Khan from travelling to London.