LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has taken strong exception to Altaf Husain’s statement that the Quaid-i-Azam took oath of allegiance to King George when he was sworn in as governor-general.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Mr Khan said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief had distorted history.

“The oath taken by the Quaid-i-Azam was determined by the fact that the independence of Pakistan in 1947 was not complete,” says Mr Khan.

“Both India and Pakistan had attained quasi independence and became dominions of the British Empire. It was for this reason that the Quaid became governor-general and not the president.”

“The governor-general was nominally a representative of the British monarch and this fact was reflected in the oath that was taken by both the Pakistani Governor-General and Indian Governor General Mountbatten.”

Imran said by drawing a parallel between the situation then and the status of his (Altaf’s) being a British citizen now was a complete distortion of facts and history.

He said that to hold leadership positions in the government or be a member of parliament, it is incumbent, according to the Constitution, that the person should be solely a citizen of Pakistan.

“To claim national leadership it is a mockery if vast properties of the leaders are not in Pakistan but abroad. Every time Pakistani currency devalues these leaders become richer. This is a joke with the sufferings of the people of Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Khan advised the MQM leader not to drag the great Quaid into tawdry political debate in the country.