LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has criticised Rangers for demolishing MQM offices in Sindh and termed their move a counter-productive act.

“It is not the mandate of Rangers to demolish or close MQM offices. If they (Rangers) do this they will lose respect in the eyes of the people,” Mr Sanaullah said and advised them to let the political parties do the work which they were supposed to do.

Talking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly, the law minister said that the process of the political demise of MQM chief Altaf Hussain should be moved forward politically. He said that demolishing of MQM offices was an act which was counter-productive and would invoke more sympathies (for the MQM).

Indirectly blaming Rangers for the arrest of Dr Farooq Sattar, head of MQM-Pakistan for a brief period, and defection of MQM lawmaker Asif Hasnain to the Pak Sarzameen Party, Mr Sanaullah said “these acts are not right”.

“Let the political process move forward politically,” the Punjab law minister said. He, however, praised Rangers for fighting against terrorists and enemies of the country.

Mr Sanaullah said that Mr Hussain’s anti-Pakistan slogans were aimed at destablisation of the country and his act amounted to treason.

PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan also opposed demolition of MQM offices by Rangers.

Meanwhile, the PML-Q has criticised the statement of Mr Sanaullah and termed it an attempt by the Punjab law minister to malign the armed forces.

“Even the Sindh government has not declared that Rangers are demolishing MQM offices, then how come Sanaullah is alleging that Rangers are doing so,” PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha said.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Agha said that the PML-Q had already pointed out that the PML-N was protecting the MQM and it was not willing to register a treason case against Mr Hussain on his anti-Pakistan statements.

“In fact Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and Altaf Hussain are on the same page in defaming the armed forces and their nexus has been exposed now,” he said.'

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016