April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

LAHORE, April 12: The PML-N is willing to shake hands with self-exiled MQM chief Altaf Husain if he returns within 10 days and abolishes his group’s Salim Shahzad-led alleged terrorist cell, furnishes a list to the government of its terrorists and unlicensed weapons, condemns all unconstitutional steps of President Musharraf and frees the Urdu-speaking majority allegedly taken hostage by his men in Karachi and Hyderabad.

This was stated by party’s spokesman Siddiqul Farooq at a press here on Saturday.

Farooq said if Altaf really loved Pakistan, especially the poor people of Karachi and Hyderabad, he should make the most of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and return within 10 days to do politics while sitting among his fellow country men. He said the PML-N would lend a special plane as a goodwill gesture for bringing back Mr Hussain.

He said neither the party nor its patron Nawaz Sharif harboured any grudge against Husain rather he would try to secure general amnesty for the MQM chief.

Talking about Altaf's offer of UN probe into May 12 killings and other incidents, he said parliament was the highest representative forum of the people and it would constitute a judicial committee to probe the killings and would seek help of UN forensic experts if needed.

Farooq said President Musharraf's blind support for the MQM could be gauged from the fact that while leaving for China on April 11, the President said that the burning of five lawyers to death and torching of property worth billions of rupees in Karachi was a reaction to maltreatment of Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Dr Sher Afgan.

Answering a question, he said MQM's mandate in Karachi and Hyderabad was a result of its terrorism and widespread scare among the people and the day these cities were cleaned of illegal weapons and terrorism, the people of Karachi would reject it. The PML-N leader said that if Hussain refused to return, Islamabad would ask London to stop him from carrying out terrorism in Pakistan.

He said the PML-N would also consult legal experts for banning politics by self-exiled leaders. —Staff Reporter