WASHINGTON: The United States continues to support Pakistan’s efforts to maintain law and order in Karachi, says the US State Department as the government demolishes MQM offices and arrests party activists.

The campaign, launched after Altaf Hussain’s latest diatribe against Pakistan, aims to delink the party from its chief, who operates from London.

But the State Department reminds the Pakistan government that all such efforts must be made in accordance with the rule of law.

On Saturday, a senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar urged the government to end what he called was an “undeclared ban” on his party. Mr Sattar also claimed that MQM had parted ways with Mr Hussain and the London secre­tariat and now the leadership in Pakistan was running the party.

In a statement shared with Dawn, the State Department explained the US position on the current situation in Karachi, the ongoing operation against MQM and last week’s mob attack on media offices in Karachi, led allegedly by a group of MQM supporters.

In the statement, the US administration appears supportive of the government’s action against MQM but urges it not to violate its own laws while doing so.

Similarly, the US government also recognises MQM’s right to protest but reminds the party that the protest should be peaceful.

The United States takes a stronger stance on the mob attack on media offices, noting that such attacks undermine democracy.

MQM protests and arrests

“We are monitoring these events closely and are aware that Pakistani security forces have arrested several Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members and sealed MQM headquarters,” said the statement while responding to questions about the ongoing operation.

“We are monitoring these events closely and continue to support Pakistan’s efforts to maintain law and order in Karachi, while emphasising that all efforts must be made in accordance with the rule of law,” the statement adds.

In the next paragraph, the State Department defines the link between law and order and the rights and freedom a democracy gives to its citizens.

“The United States is also committed to defending freedom of speech, rule of law and due process, freedom of expression, and judicial independence,” it says.

“We refer you to the government of Pakistan,” says the State Department when asked to comment on the criminal investigation against those arrested during the ongoing operation.

Commenting on MQM’s claim that it reserves the right to protest against the ongoing operation, the State Department reminds the party that such protests should always be peaceful.

“We would note that in exercising that freedom of expression, everyone — from governments and political parties to protesters — is responsible for upholding the rule of law,” the State Department says.

“We believe in the importance of public assembly and freedom of speech as cornerstones of democratic societies but also emphasise the importance that such protests must be conducted peacefully,” it adds.

Further explaining this point, the State Department says:

“We believe democracies become stronger by allowing expression from diverse voices within society, although we would emphasise that those expressions must be peaceful.”

The statement, however, avoids making direct comments on the current situation, saying: “We are still gathering information on the events and have no further comment at this time.”

On press freedom

While commenting on last week’s mob attack on media offices in Karachi, the State Department underlines its commitment to a free press.

“The United States is committed to defending media freedom. We believe that threats to the independence of the media are unbecoming of any country that counts itself among the world’s democracies,” it says.

“Access to free and unfettered press is a pillar of the democratic system and a value shared by all democracies,” the State Depart­ment concludes.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2016