September 11, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 10, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 10: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has expelled former MNA Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain for violating party policy.

According to an official announcement, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain’s basic membership has been cancelled for his act of propagating his views through the TV programme he hosts.

The act may create religious hatred which is against

MQM policy, says the MQM statement.

The former MQM MNA, who held the portfolio of minister of state for religious affairs, had lost his National Assembly seat and the portfolio when he publicly backed a religious edict against the controversial writer, Salman Rushdie, upon the latter’s receiving a knighthood from the British government.

Taking Dr Aamir’s act of backing the decree as a violation of the MQM policy, the party had initially asked him to withdraw his statement and then, upon his refusal, asked to tender his resignation.

“He was warned several times against spreading religious hatred through his TV shows but he did not pay any heed. He was relieved of his responsibilities some one-and-a-half years back and the MQM had unofficially removed him from the party,” the MQM coordination committee said in a press release.

The coordination committee said that Dr Aamir used the MQM platform and continued to spread such views which were in conflict with the party’s philosophy.

Meanwhile, the MQM coordination committee on Wednesday cancelled membership of another party activist, Gohar Raza Abidi, son of Azhar Abidi, for violation of rules and regulations of the party, adds APP.

Abidi was a member of the party’s North Karachi Sector, Unit 133-B.