Altaf apologises for remarks about army
52
KARACHI: Hours after a strong reaction from the Army, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain apologised to “national security institutions” and “all patriots” for his remarks about the 1971 war and the call to India’s intelligence agency for help.
The self-exiled MQM leader made it clear in his statement that remarks seeking assistance from India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) had been made just “satirically”.
Mr Hussain was all praise for the armed forces and said he has always had respect for the Pakistan Army.
Also read: Altaf's remarks on army to be legally pursued: ISPR
“My speech last night is being interpreted out of context,” he said, referring to his address to workers at Nine Zero, the MQM’s headquarters, in the small hours of Friday. The speech was broadcast live by many news channels.
“I called for RAW’s help only satirically, but if my remarks have hurt the sentiments of national security institutions and patriotic people, I offer apology from the bottom of my heart. I did not intend to humiliate any institution or the government. My speech was read out of context,” he said.
Hours after SSP Malir Rao Anwar’s press conference on Thursday in which he accused the MQM of being anti-state and working with RAW to destabilise Karachi, Mr Hussain addressed the party leaders and workers and, in an aggressive tone, sought action against the police officer.
The Muttahida chief also made a reference to the 1971 war and asked the youth to get military training.
He also criticised TV anchors and accused them of crossing all limits by levelling what he called false allegations against the MQM. “Time and again, arrested persons are shown on TV and labelled as RAW agents. Feeling depressed and sad over such allegations is natural,” he said in the statement.
“My remarks seeking help from RAW are being criticised, but that particular sentence was said satirically and in reply to frequent allegations against MQM that it is an agent of RAW. My words can be verified by watching my speech again,” he said.
Recalling his statements in favour of the armed forces, Mr Hussain said his party had held the biggest rally in support of the Zarb-i-Azb operation.
“Our ancestors sacrificed two million lives for the creation of Pakistan,” he said, adding: “Despite difficulties and injustice meted out to the descendants of the founders of Pakistan, we have always remained loyal to Pakistan and will remain so.”
He said Muhajirs had no links with any country other than Pakistan.
“They will live and die in this country. For God’s sake don’t doubt the patriotism of Muhajirs,” he said.
“Contemptuous remarks against them must be avoided. All doubts about their patriotism and loyalty to the country must come to an end,” he said.
Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2015
On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (52) Closed
May 02, 2015 10:14am
Mr. Hussain you are a Mohajir (immigrant) in Great Britain. You are no longer a Pakistani citizen. Please fight for your rights from English. Leave Pakistanis alone. You are not helping anyone, you are actually creating worst trouble for people of Karachi. As a foreign delegate I visited Karachi and Pakistan several time in the past and I can tell the people of Karachi are living the most miserable life compare to other Pakistanis and I feel your party and PPP have a lot to do with miserable life of Karachi.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 10:35am
Not again Bhai
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 10:37am
AH has to be careful with his words so that he doesn't have to apologize repeatedly as he did earlier when he made inappropriate comments about PTI workers.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 10:38am
Enough of this Drama. Action is imminent!
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 10:38am
A visionary leader with a big heart. Good decision to apologize. Pakistan army is our pride. People of urban sindh love MQM and Pak Army.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:07am
Why MQM ppl keep on calling themselves as Mohajirs? Aren't majority of them born in Pakistan? Why they don't call themselves as Pakistanis as other people do, who are now residing in Punjab, hyderabad and other cities and migrated from India? Why MQM is playing this "Mohajir" card all the time?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:14am
Jiyay Mutahida
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:15am
Your apology is not accepted. People of Pakistan are appalled at your remarks
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:20am
Altaf Hussain needs to resign from party leadership for the MQM to become a peaceful political party
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:23am
@Asim Iqbal Never been accepted in the main stream. It seems like sons of the soil are Pakistanis. Not any one else. The fairness should be across the board
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:24am
@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Visionary making such remark. Big question mark
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:25am
After his comment and looking at his followers ...my motivation to come back Pakistan is highly lower...as people of Pakistan create their destiny and they have themselves choosen currupt system by following currupt leaders...democracy is never for Pakistan
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:28am
PTCL, NEPRA & Electronic Media are equally responsible of this mess. I hold them responsible for allowing him such nonsense everyday.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:33am
@Asim Iqbal Agreed we all are Pakistani's, then why do we have quota system & why is there a separate domicile for Karachi rather then Sindh?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 11:43am
Why do all politicians say that " comments taken out of context or misinterpreted" Do they think that public are fools and they are only the clever ones. lol
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 12:30pm
Why does Altaf apologose always after making accusations ? He should think before he says any thing. This is childish to retire and take back retirements and then say some thing bad and lter on apologise. He must be in other world when he act like that. This shows that he is a bad leader.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 12:30pm
It is beyond understanding to tender apology on such a sensitive topic of inviting foe-intelligence agency to help and then U-turn, the message has already been delivered and hit the heads and minds of the people of Pakistan. Such apologies cannot be accepted and should not be pardoned.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 12:50pm
@Asim Iqbal Ever heard of the Quota system where you are denied opportunities instead given to ill qualified sons of soil. Blinkered state policy visions and partiality causes grievances and sense of alienation.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 12:55pm
As expected
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 01:35pm
@Asim Iqbal > Muhajirs are the people who face discrimination when they call themselves Pakistanis. When they are domiciled in Punjab, they are asked where their father was from? Where was their grandfather was from and then they cannot apply on the Punjab quota although they are Punjabi by domicile and Pakistani by nationality. The same happens in every single province. If there are Pakistanis in Pakistan then why do they discriminate on someone who is not a son of the soil? That is why we are called Muhajirs -- the true Pakistani --- to differentiate ourselves from you who are Punjabis, Sindhis, Baluch, Pathans, the pretend Pakistanis! Get it?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 01:44pm
@imran khan
Bahi sahib should think before he speaks
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 01:46pm
@Adil Haider
I agree its high time Altaf Hussain should resign and make some one else the party leader .As he him self says he is not well
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 01:50pm
My ancestors migrated from Srinagar after India attacked Kashmir, but I don't call myself Mohajir.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 01:59pm
@Asim Iqbal Simple, divide and rule....
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 02:05pm
It is high time that our electronic media should initiate a grand debate of the grieviances of mohajirs like quota system etc and find some solution
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 02:06pm
Have written in many forums writing it again. My Grand Father migrated from India. My Father born in Pakistan one of my uncle, he is till alive, migrated from India along with my grandfather. I have never heard them calling them selves Muhajir and no one has ever called us Muhajir. But one thing is sure if tell everyone in my neighborhood that I am a Muhajir than what else should they call me ? So try to become Pakistani; its for every Muhajir out there
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 02:07pm
@JP .. well said.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 02:17pm
You must be the most misunderstood politicians of all the times! Words matter! They convey meaning. You tested the waters and when the reaction was negative you apologised!
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 02:32pm
@american wonder why Pakistan allows dual citizenship. As long as the law allows you , you are Pakistani. Pal we need a major structural overhaul. Would u mind defining who real Pakistanis are. The city is in ruin not because of ppp or mqm but by the people them selves not to elect the honest people and the honest people not taking active part in politics.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 02:37pm
@FRANKENSTEIN i doubt your description as you never heard your father uncle called themselves Mohajir (if they are Mohajir nd urdu speaking). I think you dont live in Pakistan or Karachi otherwise 4 years old kid knows there who is Mohajir. Giving the lesson of being Pakistani I request you ask 'sons of soil' to be pakistani. Let me give you a suggestion, ask all pakistanis to rename their provinces names and replace existing name by name of national heroes such as Jinnah, Johar, Liaqat, Iqbal etc. This will eliminate racism and every citizen will proudly show identity as pakistani. Will it be acceptable to all pakistanis.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:06pm
@Asim Iqbal - If you look at the different provinces of Pakistan, people refer themselves as Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi and Pathan. The sindhi speaking sindhis never accepted the "Mohajirs" living in Sindh to be called sindhis. This discriminatory attitude the mohajirs were and are confronted with was the core reason behind MQM coming into being. To further deprive the mohajirs of their rights, the quota and domicile systems were introduced where mohajirs faced great difficulty in obtaining a domicile as the natives of other provinces treated them as aliens.
I wish this mentality changes sooner than later and all the citizens of Pakistan are give equal rights. Mohajirs are freely allowed to enroll in all government universities including Sindh.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:07pm
People who are living in karchi they are far better than people who are living in interior sindh, interior punjab, KPK, Blouchastan, Gulgit and Ajk. So why Altaf alway misguide navie people of karachi.if you compare them with those who are living in New Delhi, mombay, muradabad, hyderabad or any other state of Indian where Muslims living in majority or if you compare with them with those living in Dhaka, mirpur etc . People of karachi still living in better condition. The only problem which goes against them is hatter and...
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:10pm
No one can harm pakistan, because of the our faith and the armed forces, who are a iron wall to our enemies. Politicians, mafias, gangs, misguided youth, the corrupt, foreign spy agencies, all come to a standstill, when they reach the iron wall and behind them the will of all the people. As for MQM, it is time to change leadership, with a more educated, refined, non ethnic based leadership, with no baggage.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:25pm
MQM demanding creation of separate province for Urdu speaking. If new province is created then what they will call themselves? And what about Muhajir living in Sukkur, Mirpurkhas? They will also need separate province?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:27pm
@Zak the best option
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:36pm
@bkt what has MQM done about quota system? They were in power for 12 years(2002-2014).
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 03:36pm
Such statements coming from Altaf would have more force if he was in Pakistan. How can he be patroitic when he has put himself in exile?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 04:48pm
I live in Karachi and am urdu speaking, but do not understand howcome am I a mahajir
I am born here, hence I am only a Pakistani. I also request the citizens of whole Pakistan to stop identifying themselves by the area where they live in or by the language they speak. We need to realize that only unity would lead us forward, and our leaders would do their best to stop us from that.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 04:57pm
@Alam no need for seperate province, just better leadership from all parties. At present only Imran khan represents all pakistan, as no one sees him pandering for votes based on provincial support. Zardari- Sind, Nawaz/ Shabaz- Punjab, ANP- KPK, JWP- Balochistan, MQM- karachi, PTI- Pakistan
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 04:59pm
This is Mr. Altaf strategy Say it get it to the crowd next hour apologize.
Pakistan armed forced has to take serious actions, Mr altaf has to come back to Pakistan, and live in Pakistan, his party workers need him. and while in the country ,he need to make remarks.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:07pm
Don't use the word mahajir for this nation. we all are Pakistani. don't try to make this nation as refugees. this nation already lost a lot of things at the time of creation of Pakistan.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:08pm
There are our leader's children who can not talk in Urdu and live most of their lives in England and Dubai. It is not bad to have a dual nationality. As long as AH is not participating in an election, no one should have any issue.
If Pakistan is a true democracy, we have a freedom of speech and no one should object it.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:27pm
@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan keep loving MQM and be on path of development which Karachi has witnessed for last 13 years of MQM rule....what a blindness
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:32pm
MQM and their voters are Pakistanis when others are. They are mohajor when there are punjabi, pathan, balochi, saraiki, sindhi ... I think MQM has explained why they are mohajor but some people choose to ignore it and then repeat question.
@Asim Iqbal have you ever asked whey there is sindh rural and urban quota but not in other provinces?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:33pm
Leave us alone Altaf Bhai. You are doing no sevice to the people of this country.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:36pm
@JP so why MQM got quota system removed despite of being in power for last 14 years? You'd better to ask this question from your so called representative MQM
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:38pm
@Khanm When you immigrate you need to intigrate, so from now onwards try to integrate into fibric of Sindh society and then see how people support you. Leave your Bihari, UP, Delhi, Surti and become Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi and Pashtoon. Yes people who settled in other parts of the country have successfully applied this, hence living peacefull.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 05:55pm
@Azhar Hussain : Please also tell that to all Pakistanis living in France, Germany, Canada and America. Its all about leaving your identity and assimilating with the culture of majority.
Kindly reply.
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 06:58pm
If I resign from my office and take it back more than 100 times...if I kept on saying something wrong and kept on apologizing...If I kept on speaking sentences without any link in them and without any sense...People around me will consider me insane but here we go! a lot in Karachi see AH as a Leader! There is something wrong! grossly wrong!
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 07:04pm
Is it a joke?
Recommend
0
May 02, 2015 09:45pm
@Zak agreed
Recommend
0
May 03, 2015 12:53am
@Khanm we are Urdu speaking just like all the Pakistan. Every single patriot Pakistani speaks Urdu as a National Language. It's no more only those people's language who migrated from India nearly 67 years ago. Whom does Altaf Husain consider sons of the soil. All of us are sons of the soil. He is not representing all those wise parents migrated but they were born here and hate to be called Hindostani or mahajir. They are serving in army serving and fighting bravely with the enemies of Pakistan. Altai Hussain is not their spokes person.
Recommend
0
