Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain held one of the lengthiest press conferences ever by a Pakistani politician on Friday, an event broadcast live across the country from London that had fuelled much speculation and was expected to be a crushing reply to the allegations made against him and the party by the Pakistan People’s Party’s Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.
Citizens and journalists alike were glued to their TV screens across the country in anticipation that Altaf would drop a major bombshell, but the press conference later turned into an over three-hour display of theatrics and histrionics interspersed with serious comments. Altaf also appeared to have gained weight and seemed disoriented at intervals, confusing and forgetting names (including those of President Asif Ali Zardari and Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani) and randomly bursting out in song or fits of laughter. TV anchors of various private channels also commented on the length of Altaf’s press conference and its lack of apparent direction and focus.
