Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Naeemul Haque on Saturday let loose a couple of tweets, criticising the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for its alleged role in Baldia Town factory fire, besides blaming the government for protecting the party and its founder Altaf Hussain from prosecution.
Haque tweeted: “For years the murderous MQM under Altaf was protected by PPP, PML-N and Musharraf who included them in their govt preventing their prosecution.”
For years the murderous MQM under Altaf was protected by PPP, PMLN n Musharraf who included them in their govt preventing their prosecution.
— Naeem ul Haque (@naeemul_haque) October 28, 2017
Earlier in September, the PTI leadership comfortably ignored all the allegations it had levelled against the MQM and went on to propose an alliance with the MQM against the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The MQM and PTI leadership had come closer to oust the National Assembly Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah as both parties had sought to replace the opposition leader with Shah Mehmood Qureshi, saying that the MQM wanted him to replace Shah.
However, the move had sparked criticism within the ranks of the PTI, with the party splitting in two groups over the choice of opposition leader. It is interesting to note that the faction led by Jahangir Tareen opposed Qureshi’s name for the post. Moreover, Naeemul Haque also rubbished the reports of Qureshi being nominated as the leader of opposition, saying “only Imran Khan will be the leader of opposition”.
In the second tweet, the PTI leader predicted that the “murder of more than 200 factory workers by MQM in a Baldia Town factory a few years ago is about to reach its finale. The culprits must be hanged”.
Murder of more than 200 factory workers by MQM in Baldia factory a few years ago is about to reach its finale. The culprits must be hanged.
— Naeem ul Haque (@naeemul_haque) October 28, 2017
This tweet too targets the MQM, as in light of preliminary investigation reports, the fire was set off on the instructions of an MQM office-bearer Hammad Siddiqui. It may be mentioned here that Baldia Town case is sub judice. Over 250 workers died in a factory fire in 2012 and the supplementary investigation report of the case point fingers towards the MQM leadership as it alleged that the factory was torched when the owner refused to pay ‘protection money’ to the MQM.