Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has warned the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday against “politics of threats”, saying there is no gain for the government by not issuing MQM Chairman Altaf Hussain his National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP).
Speaking at a press conference, Nisar said the matter has been blown out of proportion deliberately. “We spoke to (MQM leaders) Governor Sindh (Dr Ishratul Ibad) and Haider Abbas Rizvi but the issue was further complicated and threats were hurled.”
He said Altaf would have to follow the proper procedure to obtain his identity card. Nisar claimed that the MQM chairman had never applied for the identity card in the past 22 years that he has spent in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.
“I am not Najam Sethi (Pakistan Cricket Board chairman) who cannot appoint a captain of the team and cannot dismiss anyone,” he said.
The MQM and its chairman had alleged that the interior ministry and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) were giving ‘lame excuses’ over the delay in issuing Husain his NICOP which he had applied for at the Pakistani High Commission in London more than a month ago.
The party has warned of launching country-wide protests if the interior ministry fails to issue the NICOP to Hussain immediately.
MQM RABITA COMMITTEE STATEMENT: In a statement issued on Friday, MQM’s Rabita Committee said that the interior minister had taken the issue on his ego and was now creating hurdles.
“Firstly, the interior ministry made the excuse that they had no record of Hussain’s NICOP application and then the ministry’s spokesman said that MQM leader had not fulfilled legal formalities,” said the committee.
They added that when the MQM presented all evidence in front of the nation, State Minister for Interior Baleeghur Rehman then said that NADRA had lost the record of the application.
The statement further said that when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was contacted over the issue, he directed Nisar to resolve the matter immediately but Nisar came up with another excuse saying that Hussin’s picture in NADRA’s record was ‘improper’.
“Thousands of supporters of Hussain are agitated over the response of the interior minister and if the NICOP is not immediately issued to the MQM chairman, people will be forced to stage country-wide protests,” it said.
The party again demanded of President Mamnoon Hussain and PM Sharif to take notice of the situation.
MQM WALKS OUT OF NA: Meanwhile, MQM MNAs staged a walk out from the National Assembly on Friday to protest against the non-issuance of NICOP and passport to its party chairman.
Speaking in the House, MQM’s Asif Hasnain alleged that the government was adopting an undemocratic attitude by resorting to unfair tactics.
He said the state minister for interior had claimed that Hussain’s data had been lost, while in fact, a NADRA team had visited Hussain’s residence and collected the data.
“If Maryam Nawaz can be issued a passport, why not Altaf?” questioned Rashid Godil.
On this occasion, State Minister Abid Sher Ali said it was not appropriate to name Maryam in this issue, adding that Hussian had himself surrendered his passport to British authorities, and would now have to adopt the legal way to get Pakistani documents.
ALTAF ALLEGES NISAR LYING OVER NICOP: MQM Chairman Altaf Hussain said that it was his fundamental right, as a Pakistani national, to get the NICOP and passport.
In a statement issued from London, Hussain said that he had been waiting for his identity card and passport for over one month, as the government is wittingly using delaying tactics including fingerprints and photographs.
Lashing out at the interior minister, Hussain said it was regrettable that the federal minister was lying over the issue, adding the minister should have informed him earlier, if the photograph was not up to the mark.
Commenting on the latest fray in the episode, Hussain said the federal government was making a fuss over the NADRA crew visiting his residence and taking his fingerprints and photographs.
Hussain also gave example of PM Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam, who had sought to change her name in the identity card. He alleged that a NADRA team raced to her house to complete the procedure and she got the new identity card the very next day.
Hussain complained that it was political victimisation on part of the federal government which is unwilling to issue him his new NICOP, adding that the action has offended millions of his well-wishers.
