Political uncertainty has once again gripped the city of Karachi when London- based MQM founder Altaf Hussain, during his recent telephonic speech and diatribe at hunger strike camp outside Karachi press club, incited violence inside Pakistan. While addressing his party workers he has used derogatory remarks against Pakistan. He said “Pakistan has become a cancer for the entire world” and he requested India’s spy agency RAW to come and help his party workers against Ranger operation in Karachi.
Words of MQM’s chief against Pakistan are tantamount to high treason under article 6 of the constitution of Pakistan, 1973 which states that
(1) Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspire to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason
(2)Any person aiding or abetting the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.
On the other hand his speech to the workers has added fuel to fire and they went on to attack two media houses in Karachi and this amount to incitement to violence which is a criminal act in Pakistan as well as in the U.K.. Incitement consists of persuading, encouraging, instigating, and pressuring so as to cause another to commit a crime. The ingredients of incitement are present in his telephonic speech. Altaf Husain has committed a violation of British as well as international law.
In U.K., Serious crime act, 2007 its part 2, which came into force on 1st October 2008, section 45 states that
A person commits an offence if-
- he does an act capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence and
- he believes that the offence will be committed and that his act will encourage or assist its commission
Now it is also the responsibility of British government to take strict action against Altaf Hussain on the charge of inciting violence inside Pakistan. Ministry of Interior in Pakistan has already dispatched a reference against him.
It is also pertinent to note that Altaf Hussain’s speech has proved a last nail in MQM’s coffin .His derogatory remarks against the sovereignty of Pakistan let the cat out of the bag and has proved the fact that neither he is patriotic nor a sympathiser of Urdu speaking community in Karachi .
It is a high time for the government of Pakistan to either dissolve MQM under section 15 of political order, 2002 by making declaration in the official Gazette or resolved MQM long awaited question once and for all if the federal government is satisfied with the 1st of September press conference made by Farooq Sattar who claimed that Altaf Hussain would never imposed his decision on MQM Pakistan. Karachi needs peace and prosperity instead of chaos and violence.
Mian Rauf
(Law Student) Lahore
