Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farogh Nasim wrote to BBC correspondent Owen Bennett-Jones citing objections over a recent report run by the BBC about the MQM.
The party has also announced to hold a protest demonstration against the BBC on Sunday (today).
In the letter, the MQM leader said MQM chief Altaf Hussain was not wanted in any cases as opposed to what the report suggested. He also refuted the impression that the MQM was losing its grip on Karachi. Nasim cited examples of the May 2013 general election and results of by-elections as evidence that the party still enjoyed considerable support in the country’s financial capital.
Nasim also alleged that opposing parties were propagating negative information against the MQM.
The BBC report drew considerable attention with it identifying the names of two key suspects in Farooq’s murder. Following the airing of the video report on BBC’s Newsnight programme, the MQM leader said the party had no link with the two men.
According to the text of the letter, Nasim has demanded to broadcast his complete recorded interview in the documentary film.
He said unfortunately the MQM version was not given proper coverage and in the report it was tried to damage Altaf’s image. It seemed that political opponents misguided the British broadcaster.
“I had also mentioned that the police had taken the laptop of Hussain’s 10-year-old daughter and coin-boxes maintained as a hobby by Hussain and his daughter; how these items could have a bearing on money laundering,” Nasim said.
He said, “Many politicians from all over the world had a huge assets-base in the UK and I was surprised to note that why only MQM with paltry funds was being questioned on money laundering.”
Nasim said the MQM leadership in the UK were British citizens and were part of the British society; and that they would not go anywhere but stay in the UK.
Earlier, he had said the allegations raised in the video report were baseless and the party would initiate legal proceedings against the BBC.
Meanwhile, the MQM postponed a protest demonstration in the city scheduled for Saturday against the BBC, which it termed “controversial” and “prejudiced” towards the MQM, for a day to avoid “possible inconvenience” to the people.
“Our leadership does not want to create any difficulties for the general public, which is the very reason we moved our protest for Sunday,” said Wasay Jalil, an MQM spokesman.
Sources in the MQM, said that the governor, who had gone to London for three days, was expected to return on Sunday.
