ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry on Tuesday sent a reference against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s beleaguered leader Altaf Hussain to the British authorities seeking action against him for inciting violence in Pakistan.
A spokesman for the ministry said Mr Hussain’s recent speech and evidence proving that he provoked people to violence had also been sent to the British authorities.
The reference says that Mr Hussain has violated British and international laws and, therefore, action should be initiated against him under British laws. It seeks action against those inciting violence and spreading unrest in Pakistan.
Sources in the ministry said actionable material to prove that Mr Hussain had asked his workers to attack certain media houses had been sent with the reference.
The spokesman said soon after the Aug 22 attack on media houses in Karachi, the matter was taken up by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan with the British home secretary. Pakistan’s high commissioner in the United Kingdom is also in touch with British police.
Though dozens of cases of serious nature, including murder, have been registered against Mr Hussain living in self-exile in the UK for the last three decades or so, he has maintained a firm control over his party. But the language used by him against Pakistan on Aug 22 stirred up a revolt against him, with a number of MQM leaders disowning his remarks and parting ways with him.
His remarks continue to draw ire in and outside parliament. The National Assembly’s standing committee on law and justice, which met here on Tuesday, unanimously passed a resolution condemning his remarks against Pakistan. The resolution asked the government to send a reference against Mr Hussain to the UK authorities.
The resolution moved by Dr Arif Alvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf also called for an action against Mr Hussain under Articles 6 and 17B of the Constitution.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr Alvi termed Mr Hussain’s remarks condemnable and said seeking support from India and Israel was shameful and warranted an action. Shagufta Jumani of the PPP said remarks against Pakistan were intolerable. The chairman of the committee, Mehmood Basheer Virk, said that evil wishers of Pakistan were there since the country came into existence. “They continue to exist and call themselves leaders,” he added.
In a related development, all the 46 members of the National Assembly belonging to the PPP submitted to the assembly secretariat a resolution condemning anti-Pakistan remarks by Mr Hussain.
Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2016
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