KARACHI, Aug 24 Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to constitute a “truth and reconciliation commission” in the light of disclosures made by Lt-Gen (retd) Naseer Akhtar, a former corps commander of Karachi, and Brig Imtiaz Ahmed, a former director-general of the Intelligence Bureau, that the MQM had nothing to do with the “Jinnahpur conspiracy”.

Speaking at a press conference through remote video link from London at the Jinnah Ground on Monday, Mr Hussain said that at a talk show aired on a private television channel, the former Karachi corps commander and the former director-general of the intelligence bureau had made it clear that the allegation of the recovery of maps of Jinnahpur from the offices of the MQM in June 1992 was baseless and that the documents were fake.

He recalled that Brig Asif Haroon had called journalists from Punjab after the launch of the operation to brief them about the “Jinnahpur conspiracy”, showing them maps of Jinnahpur and other documents found in the offices of MQM.

“But on Sunday, Lt-Gen (retd) Naseer Akhtar and Brig (retd) Imtiaz made it clear that it was a false allegation and an attempt to divide the nation,” the MQM chief added.

On the basis of the alleged maps of Jinnahpur, action was ordered against the MQM, the Muttahida chief recalled, alleging that 15,000 workers were killed during the operation and its aftermath.

Mr Hussain thanked the two former military officials for “speaking the truth about the Jinnahpur conspiracy”, but lamented that it was too late since it cost the MQM heavily.

He wondered why then prime minister Nawaz Sharif did not try to stop the operation.

Altaf Husain called upon Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to set up a “truth and reconciliation commission” so that “fact could be distinguished from fiction”.

“I can make very harsh comments after the disclosures by two senior former military officials, but I am not doing so for the sake of political harmony.

“But Mr Chaudhry (Chief Justice of Pakistan), will it not be appropriate to constitute a truth and reconciliation commission. I leave the decision to you.”

“I don't want confrontation....I want unity and therefore I announce that today I pardon the murderers of my brother and nephew,” Mr Altaf said.

The MQM supremo appealed to the Army and the ISI not to pay heed to the propaganda against his party.

“We are not traitors....we only want to change the corrupt feudal system in the country. I appeal to the army and the ISI to withdraw old allegations, accept the MQM as a patriotic party and allow it to work across the country.”

He also urged the ISI to remove from its archives all documents maligning the MQM.

Mr Altaf asked CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry to summon Lt-Gen

Naseer Akhtar and Brig Imtiaz to hear their versions on the 1992 operation.

He called upon the president, the prime minister and the federal cabinet to “take the nation into confidence” about those “testing times”.

A large number of relatives of MQM workers who were killed during the military operation were present at the Jinnah ground.