LAHORE: Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana on Tuesday joined the voices calling for allowing the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to work (in the political arena) after it had dissociated itself from its London-based founder Altaf Hussain.

“I think they (MQM) should be allowed to continue (political) work after their explanation in wake of Altaf Hussain’s speech,” he told a questioner during an informal chat with reporters at the Governor House here.

The MQM founder had uttered anti-state remarks in his speech to participants of a hunger strike camp outside the Karachi Press Club on Aug 22.

The opposition PPP and PTI have also opposed banning the Karachi-based party.

Mr Rajwana parried a question about Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s criticism of the Rangers for demolishing MQM offices in Karachi.

“Rana Sana himself may explain his statement…sometimes a news headline depicts a picture different than the content (of a remark).” He, however, explained that the Rangers is an institution that worked under the federal government.

About the ongoing protest by the opposition parties over Panama Leaks and Model Town incident, the governor wondered why the parties which had taken the both issues to courts were now protesting on roads.

“They (opp parties) must have waited for logical conclusion [of the cases],” he said, adding “perhaps, their rallies are aimed at pressurising the courts.”

He said the journey to progress was being obstructed by attempts to forge an anti-prime minister alliance and advised the opposition to wait for the people’s verdict in 2018 general election.

He did not believe that the opposition was serious in demanding early polls, arguing that none of the rivals had done their homework for the purpose.

Mr Rajwana supported the local bodies system, arguing that through it grass- roots level problems of the masses were resolved at their doorstep.

Defending the government on the inordinate delay in making the local bodies functional, he held [undue] litigation responsible for it.

Responding to a query about the recommendations of South Punjab Empowerment Committee formed under his chair when he was a senator, the governor said it had suggested posting special secretaries of some important departments at Multan to resolve problems of the region there and then. Blaming some “unavoidable circumstances” for the delay in progress on the suggestions, he said that he had discussed the issue with the chief minister in a recent meeting.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2016

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