- MQM chief says PTI lawmakers have lost legitimacy to remain members of NA after remaining absent from House for over seven months
- Opposes Pakistani troops deployment in Saudi Arabia, says no threat to holy sites in country
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Monday criticised the participation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators in the joint session, saying the session on Yemen crisis was a pretext to bring back PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly even though their memberships lay suspended because of continued absence from the National Assembly for the last seven months.
“Just like you have to get married again, a lawmaker has to contest elections again once he has resigned from his seat,” Hussain said in a TV interview, calling the PTI lawmakers “illegitimate” members of the NA.
Commenting on Pakistan’s role in the Yemen conflict, Hussain said that the government told the joint parliamentary session that Pakistan would defend Saudi Arabia at all costs even though it is the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which decides which countries would participate in a military campaign against any one country.
He said that India had been given observer status in the Arab League, while Pakistan was not even a member. “Saudi Arabia should have asked India for military support instead of reaching out to Pakistan,” he added.
Hussain said that if it were about the security of the Khana Ka’aba or Makkah then he would himself go to Saudi Arabia to defend the holy sites. He asked if any other nation has sent their forces to Pakistan to help fight terrorists in Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Hussain warned that Pakistan would suffer serious consequences if it decided to join the Saudi-led war in Yemen, adding that the MQM would strongly oppose the decision to send Pakistani troops to Yemen.
