- MQM chief withdraws decision to sever ties with MQM on supporters’ demand
- Accuses ISI of implicating him in fake cases, says premier agency should see him as a patriotic Pakistani
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain late on Thursday night announced that he was withdrawing his earlier announcement to sever all ties with his party, and vowed that the MQM would ensure a wheel-jam strike in Karachi every time a party worker is reported killed.
The MQM leader made the announcement during a telephonic address to party workers at Nine-Zero. He had earlier stated that he would deliver his last address to MQM workers and supporters on Friday.
Talking to a news channel earlier on Thursday, Hussain also asked for the nation’s forgiveness.
The MQM chief claimed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had never accepted him and accused the country’s premier intelligence agency of implicating him in cases even though no corruption was proved against him.
He also said that he had seen the ‘ISI’s hand supporting the lawyers movement against former president Pervez Musharraf’.
Altaf said he held Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah responsible for the murder of 36 party activists, according to a statement issued on the MQM’s website.
Addressing a big gathering at the MQM headquarters Nine-Zero later in the night, Altaf Hussain asked the establishment to shun animosity towards his party otherwise people would show a strong reaction.
He said that no one could end or divide the MQM. He said that from the onset the civil and military establishment did not like the MQM and hatched conspiracies against it. He said Urdu speaking people were forced to leave Larkana and other cities and towns of interior Sindh. He said localities of Urdu speaking community in Karachi were attacked and innocent people killed brutally. He said an officer of intelligence agency brought money to him but he said he is not a person who can sell his soul.
He said when PPP leader Asif Zardari faced challenges and his own people did not support him, the MQM gave him full support. He said in return a home minister of PPP formed Aman Committee and killed MQM workers and Urdu speaking people. He said he has always preached peace and love, adding that a conspiracy was being hatched to pit Muhajirs against people belonging to other linguistic backgrounds.
Altaf Hussain said some powerful people do not want to see him in the game of politics, and appealed the ISI to consider him a patriotic Pakistani.
He said he had decided to separate himself from the party because the Establishment does not like him. He said that he wanted to leave MQM for the cause of peace. A large number of MQM workers including women was present on the occasion, who raised slogans of “Altaf, Altaf!”
