KARACHI, Aug 22: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement identified three army officers on Sunday night for their alleged involvement in forming a dissenters' group against the party chief, Altaf Hussain.
A press release issued by the party stated that the three officers were engaged in conspiracies against the MQM, which was a coalition partner of the government. They had been meeting party's sector in charges, workers and responsible people in the organization, the MQM alleged.
The press release, based on the party's intelligence wing report, also claimed that a number of such elements had visited Malir Cantonment on Saturday night. The session continued till early Sunday morning.
The party's intelligence wing had collected the names of the people and passed them on to the high command. Among those attending these sessions was a 'Haqiqi terrorist'.
The press release regretted that despite the warning served by the party chief, Altaf Hussain, at a general workers meeting last week, neither any question was asked nor action was taken by government authorities to check the activities of groups or individuals engaged in hatching conspiracies against the MQM.
Mr Hussain at his meeting with workers had asked them to prepare themselves for yet another trial of their loyalty to the party and its principles. It may be recalled that Altaf Hussain on Aug 18 had spoken of a conspiracy allegedly hatched by the prime minister's secretariat against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, urging President Musharraf to take timely action to frustrate the design of those working against the party.
Addressing an emergency general workers meeting on Tuesday night, he had disclosed that a letter, dated Aug 6, was sent by the deputy secretary (security) of the prime minister's secretariat under the title - "Activities of MQM(A)". Later, another letter was issued on Aug 7 by the Additional IG and Capital City Police Officer to DIG (Operations) Karachi.
In this letter, all the town police officers (formerly senior superintendents of police) were given reference of a letter from the IG, Sindh, asking for a briefing about certain members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which included some "big names also".
Mr Hussain had maintained that the aim was to create another group within the MQM, on the pattern of the Haqiqi, formed before the June 1992 operation by the then army chief.
Simultaneously, he had alleged that attempts were being made to pick some people in London and in South Africa to bring them to Karachi to create dissension within the MQM. A similar group is being formed to be flown from Karachi to London for possible designs against the MQM, Mr Hussain had claimed.
He disclosed that a code word, "Bhai val" was being used toallow entry of selected groups of people into Malir Cantonment. The intention behind such a move could be to cause problems for the MQM which had always supported President Musharraf.
He said that as in the past, certain elements within the ISI, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, a civilian network had again become active against the party, knowing fully well that their previous efforts had failed miserably.