Imran questions MQM's Karachi protest

Dawn.com Published June 4, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) should not punish the people of Pakistan for an action carried out in London by the British government, DawnNews reported.

He said that the party should hold protests over the arrest of MQM chief Altaf Hussain in the United Kingdom instead.

Khan said the UK had arrested one of its citizens on charges of money-laundering, adding that it made no sense for the MQM to stage its protests in Karachi.

The PTI chief said he fully understood “the anguish of the MQM workers” but asserted that it was “absolutely unjustified for the MQM to bring Karachi to a standstill and disrupt the lives of the people” of the city when it is the British authorities who have taken legal action against a British citizen.

Also read: Protest to continue until Altaf's safety assured: Sattar

He further said that the MQM had no reason to paralyse day to day life in Karachi, adding that the Sindh government should not take part in MQM's protests and should instead work on managing the situation.

He said that the Sindh government should focus on “ensuring safety of the citizens of Karachi” and making certain that “their lives and the businesses of the city are not brought to a standstill”.

Khan added that it was “a mockery of governance” that the Sindh government had joined the MQM’s protest.

The MQM chief was arrested by the British police on Tuesday on suspicion of money-laundering. He was arrested in northwest London where he has been living in self-imposed exile since 1992.

Hussain gained British citizenship in 2002 after leaving Pakistan when a military operation was launched to end ethnic unrest in Karachi.

His residence in London was previously raided on suspicion of money-laundering in 2012 and 2013 by British police.

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K N

Jun 04, 2014 04:49pm

Well said Khan,,,,

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Malikpur Janderbari Abbottabad

Jun 04, 2014 04:51pm

Khan sb, MQM has also been bread by masters who are pushing you in the filed. Now the entire nation is facing... and after you have been used and thrown out then rest of the country will face.....show your performance in KPK. On power point slides everything changed but in reality your govt is worse even in the history of KPK.

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Rashid Ishaq

Jun 04, 2014 04:53pm

well said

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SG Baloch

Jun 04, 2014 04:57pm

Agreed, Khan sb!

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nadeem

Jun 04, 2014 05:07pm

IK , you need to speak more loudly against this , very similar to what you done before when you were protesting in London and no U turn in coming weeks .

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Itsqashi

Jun 04, 2014 05:10pm

Very good khan sahib. MQM can only do this, Altaf tough them to do and in which they are very good.

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Raza

Jun 04, 2014 05:13pm

Well Said Mr. Khan.

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salman

Jun 04, 2014 05:20pm

I fully agree with IK.

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Malikpur Janderbari Abbottabad

Jun 04, 2014 05:22pm

Statements are easy but difficult to handle such situation in Karachi. Our agencies has breaded these groups to toppled PPP in Karachi and now they are supporting PTI against PMLN in Punjab.... result will be the same as now the whole nation is facing. Well done by Federal Govt and Sindh govt. This is time to act wisely not like statements are coming from your side. Focus on KPK and prove otherwise I guarantee next time your will be like ANP.

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vistro

Jun 04, 2014 05:31pm

atlast someone spoke

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Jun 04, 2014 05:33pm

Are you saying they should punish the british people for upholding the law? I think they should first wait for the outcome of the hearings and see if at all he is guilty? I think he should have a just hearing and in this process no one should be punished. That is what I would have expected to hear from Imran Khan. Unfortunately Khan Sahib had lost its cool and acts often without thinking much.

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Pakistani

Jun 04, 2014 05:37pm

well said IK.

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Seedo

Jun 04, 2014 06:11pm

For once I agree with this man on a political issue. Mr. IK, let this be the turning point in your political life, where you rely on logic and reasoning rather than rhetoric and false promises that are impossible to keep.

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ala

Jun 04, 2014 06:36pm

Imran should also say samething when Pakistani's protest violently when something happens in say Myanmar

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Rainman

Jun 04, 2014 06:45pm

Very timely condemnation by IK. Just shows the difference between common sense and senselessness.

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Muhammad Nooruddin

Jun 04, 2014 06:58pm

Exactly! Makes perfect sense.

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Muhammad Nooruddin

Jun 04, 2014 07:02pm

Thanks Khan sb. If Altaf has not done any thing wrong, than why worry. What goes around comes around.

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Kashif Khan

Jun 04, 2014 07:30pm

This is why Imran Khan will never be successful in Karachi. He doesn't understand the deep allegiance Karachiites hold for Altaf Hussein. He is disconnected from ground reality of the city. Khan sahab focus on KPK.

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Billo

Jun 04, 2014 07:38pm

This from the king of dharnas! "Hello teapot, this is kettle calling..."

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shiraz

Jun 04, 2014 07:55pm

Isn't he ALWAYS right? I know so....

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Sohail

Jun 04, 2014 08:05pm

Agreed with IK here. It is useless to protest, people need to be educated here and particularly MQM senior members. They should know that UK police department is fully independent, they can go to the UK Prime Minister and question him. Similarly judiciary system is highly transparent and independent, MQM lawyers can challenge the investigation in the UK court which they haven't done it. I failed to understand, what MQM want to achieve through these protests? They cannot influence or interfere in the investigation (like they can do with Pakistani police) nor Pakistani government can do anything, so what's the point?

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Syed Ahmed

Jun 04, 2014 08:17pm

PTI Chief Imran Khan has a point.

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Taimoor Khan

Jun 04, 2014 08:28pm

Totally agree with IK. MQM supporters need to do their sit ins on 10 downing street, not in Karachi.

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Shafique Rahib Khan

Jun 04, 2014 08:29pm

Mr. Khan ! Drone attacks had been doing by America and your protest against NATO supply caused severe sufferings for Pakistani drivers and other citizens. Sir, you should also stage your protest in America against drones.

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zia

Jun 04, 2014 08:38pm

Surprising..No other political party is talking about this senseless agitation that has paralyzed Karachi and ultimately the whole country.

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NINO

Jun 04, 2014 08:40pm

These may well be the only sensible words, I have heard from him. Where he failed again was that he did not attribute the whole affair as the doing of Nawaz Sharif. Ik has gone senile at the age of 62. Cry baby, cry!!

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UFO

Jun 04, 2014 08:44pm

With microscopic rallies PTI has been conducting over last few weeks without ANY impact on Pakistan political scenario whatsoever, Imran Khan can only wish in his wildest dreams anything closer to what political showdown MQM is capable of. No life has been lost as a result of MQM's protest since yesterday, yet the largest metro in Pakistan is at standstill.

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arifkasam

Jun 04, 2014 09:01pm

atleast somebody has common sense

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Azam

Jun 04, 2014 09:16pm

Well Said IK, the whole Pakistan is with you.

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samad Chaudhry

Jun 04, 2014 09:36pm

For a change Imran Khan is right Why bring Karachi to standstill and punish the poor people. Let the the British justice take its course, and if at all you want to protest; protest in UK.

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Ayesha

Jun 04, 2014 09:41pm

Now you are talking Mr Khan --The voice of the people, God bless you

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ali mirza

Jun 04, 2014 09:49pm

The reason they are not protesting there because they know they all will be arrested. But in Pakistan they can do whatever they feel like without anyone questioning them

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hussain

Jun 04, 2014 09:56pm

impressive

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Razi

Jun 04, 2014 09:56pm

Khan Saheb Right to Assemble is a part of constitution and it same when you protested against Drone in Peshawar

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GS@Y

Jun 04, 2014 09:59pm

While his own party is gearing up for pointless protests of their own and joining up with has-been's like TUQ and PML-Q. Hypocritical...

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Sarmad

Jun 04, 2014 10:37pm

@Kashif Khan, is this why PTI ended up as one of the surprise parties circa 2013?

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wasim

Jun 04, 2014 10:52pm

Imran Khan, I really appreciate the way you are managing KPK, there is real improvement on ground within a year. You are absolutely right about MQM Protest.

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ali ahmed

Jun 04, 2014 11:35pm

who are you to question?

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Shehz

Jun 04, 2014 11:53pm

Reminds me of the "Peaceful" PTI NATO Container protest, where PTI workers beat up truck drivers, burned trucks, vandalized the cargo. IK brought the entire KP province to a halt for what the Americans were doing. Americans were targeting terrorists and IK wanted to protect them, so the PTI decided to hurt every resident of KP. Karachi is never going to vote for you, we know you are a biased person, you reveal your colours in your speeches. Your mandate is for KP, work for them - that is what your lawmakers are getting paid for.

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Rehan

Jun 04, 2014 11:55pm

@Razi ... There is a difference between right to assemble and forcing people to shutdown business and torching vehicles ... None of the PTI protests were intended to bring a city to standstill, nor it did

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Sunny Boye

Jun 04, 2014 11:55pm

@MALIKPUR... I share ur concern but dont cast pmln or ppp as angels... Both were also illegitimate childs of Yahya and Zia... So keep ur rhetoric for ignorants...

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Youth

Jun 05, 2014 12:33am

No, there is no logic to agree with IK.

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UKDESI

Jun 05, 2014 01:58am

No one is above LAW

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msalvi

Jun 05, 2014 03:30am

IK is right in this case.

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waste of space

Jun 05, 2014 03:58am

IK complaining? No! Not again

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M. Johri ---canada

Jun 05, 2014 08:19am

@K N Yes , let law take it's course. It's too early to say any thing.

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habibullah

Jun 05, 2014 09:24am

Well said by IK but disappointed the voters for not keeping the electioneering promises and slogans become just rhetoric...

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Laraib

Jun 05, 2014 01:09pm

He is right......... (y)

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MTM

Jun 05, 2014 05:16pm

@Shafique Rahib Khan he staged protest against the policies adopted by Pakistani govt on drone attacks not against America.

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Jul Haq

Jun 05, 2014 07:35pm

IK should keep his advice for his rowdy supporters. MQM is a mature party; it understands that while it needs to show some form of support for its leader (to calm its supporters), it need to show restrain. I believe that during the last 2 days they have done this very well. Just imagine what IK's supporters would have done if something like this had happened to their leader?

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kam

Jun 05, 2014 08:28pm

Imran khan is like a car driver but doesn't know where he is heading to, a cricketer is cricketer, pls don't spoil Pakistan politics by implying game strategies to it, politics is more serious.

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sad

Jun 05, 2014 08:32pm

IK must be the happiest man as he always wanted to bring AH down. In 2008 he filed cases against AH which he failed marginally, in 2013 election as it finished, first step he took was travelled to london and file cases against him in inciting violence and pursauding 100s of his workers to call the met police, and now he is back here in london at this time. IK has only one motive, to break MQM and look at his performance in KPK, I dont see any progression! Everyone has its time. I will support IK if he gains political maturity.

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Jun 05, 2014 11:22pm

Who is Imran khan to speak about karachi and people of karachi. I think he should rather concentrate on KP.

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Faisal

Jun 06, 2014 09:21am

and these people are asking for assurance for Altaf's health. Can anyone in the world give assurance about anyone's health. You are alive today, you may not wake up... even if you are super health there are no guarantees.

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irshad

Jun 06, 2014 10:06am

Time for Imran Khan to strengthen his party in Karachi to fill the vacuum to be created by the absence of Altaf from political scene for quite some time, after his imprisonment on one or the other charges against him by Scotland yard.

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Khan

Jun 06, 2014 10:17am

@Ayesha yeah the voice of senseless people

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Muhajir

Jun 06, 2014 11:23am

@Razi IK has a point if you remove your blinds. Protesting against a foriegn country police for aresting its own citizen in Pakistan? Does that make sense? Certainly not if you are literate.

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Muhajir

Jun 06, 2014 11:27am

@ali ahmed the guy's party got second highest votes all over pakistan!

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Faran Ali

Jun 06, 2014 11:33am

I wonder why were you (IK) protesting in all over pakistan when the real war is being fought in Afghanistan.. drones attacks being carried by US forces. IK, you should have protested in Afghanistan and US.

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Imran

Jun 06, 2014 01:43pm

I don't understand why some people are so confused, why can't we just forget our political allegiances and support the right thing for the sake of our country. I don't always appreciate IK for what he says on different things, but when he says the right thing we should appreciate that. That is the reason we are suffering this badly today, we worship our favourite party like its full of saints. We need to learn to criticise and appreciate. @ Malikpur Janderbari Abbottabad. I have been reading your comments for quite sometime, whether IK says anything good or bad, you somehow find a way to object him, Why this hate? Is PMLN or Pakistan more important for you? Our Islam even tells us to not to do follow your parents on wrong things, then why we follow these politicians on wrong things. I request you all, when it comes to national interest, we need to think beyond the political parties and our allegiances. Also protests against drones were linked to National Interest of Pakistan, protest against elections were for Pakistan and for you and me, I don't know How this protest is linked to Pakistan, when its done for a person who doesn't even live in Pakistan. Even though I don't live in Pakistan myself, but I wouldn't like anyone to make life of Pakistanis miserable. Please think about the adverse effect of your comment and actions on people of Pakistan and Pakistan.

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WASEEM

Jun 06, 2014 02:45pm

IK .YOU ARE GREAT .WELL SAID

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muhammad

Jun 06, 2014 02:58pm

@Muhajir The why you have been protesting Afia Siddiqui's sentence in Pakistan ? She is also an American national and tried and imprisoned in America for committingcrime in Afghanistan Pakistan has nothing to do with the whole case

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muhammad

Jun 06, 2014 03:02pm

@Rainman When Pakistanis protest for Afia Siddiqui then IK sense become senseless

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ProtestInKarachi

Jun 06, 2014 03:10pm

If Imran Khan can protest in every city of Pakistan including Karaching for prosecuting Aafia Siddiqui, who is a US Citizen, why can't MQM protest in Pakistan for his leader. Mind your actions and your words Mr. IK

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ProtestInKarachi

Jun 06, 2014 03:15pm

@Shafique Rahib Khan well said

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ProtestInKarachi

Jun 06, 2014 03:16pm

@UFO well said

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ProtestInKarachi

Jun 06, 2014 03:16pm

@Shehz well said

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awais

Jun 06, 2014 05:21pm

Khan sb..... your statements are always catchy, unless or untill u get ur BIG U turn........ so please bring consistency in ur statements and try to improve governance in KPK to prove urself... otherwise end will be like sheikh rasheed ( media man ... no practical aspect)

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Mian

Jun 06, 2014 05:29pm

@Kashif Khan . He is arrested in UK, and protests are against Pakistan. Let him face the course of law. if he is innocent, he will be a hero. otherwise he will face what he deserves. Karachiites have suffered since long time. let people of Karachi have normal life for God's sake now.still if anyone has sympathies with AH, should go to London and protest there instead of paralysing life in Karachi.

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Faisal Taquie

Jun 06, 2014 09:31pm

@Mian Agreed with you. MQM should stage a mass protest in London, not Karachi, This is pretty much like injuring a finger and treating it with brain surgery!

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