KARACHI, April 18: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has described as ‘malicious’ the remarks by Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, chief of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) that “MQM leaders are being helped in Britain to use them against Pakistan.”

In a message, faxed from the MQM international secretariat in London, deputy convener of the party’s coordination committee Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui strongly condemned the statement and demanded an apology from the MMA chief.

While addressing the central and provincial Shoora of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Maulana Noorani had said that “they will be used (against Pakistan) as the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and the Iraqi opposition in Baghdad.”

Mr Siddiqui said that everyone was free to have different political ideas and policies, but no one had the right to malign his political opponent through baseless and malicious allegations and cast doubt over others’ patriotism and integrity.

He was of the view that those who were doing so were, in fact, endangering the integrity of the country.