Rana Sanaullah, MQM and Operation Cleanup 1992.

No alliance with MQM: Sana LAHORE, July 29: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has said that PML-N has not changed its stance on the MQM despite the visit of a party’s delegation to the MQM headquarters to seek support for its presidential candidate Mamnoon Hussain. Talking to a TV channel on Monday, Mr Sanaullah said PML-N had not changed its views about the MQM as the case of bogus voting in Karachi was still pending with the Election Commission. He denied the PML-N had entered into an alliance with the MQM. Meanwhile, federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid rejected Mr Sanaullah’s remarks about the MQM and said they were not in conformity with the official stance of the PML-N. He said MQM enjoyed confidence of the masses since long and the PML-N respected its mandate. He asked the MQM leadership not to let the remarks hurt relations between the two parties, adding that Mr Sanaullah had been directed to support the reconciliation process with the MQM. REFERENCE: No alliance with MQM: Sana 2013-07-30 06:46:03 http://dawn.com/news/1032889/no-alliance-with-mqm-sana

Rana Sanaullah, MQM and The Guardian Story

 

Rana Sanaullah, MQM and The Guardian Story by SalimJanMazari

MQM happy as PML-N disowns Sana’s statement LAHORE: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement late Monday welcomed Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid’s statement in which the latter said the PML-N disowned the words uttered by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, reports Geo News. The PML-N has taken notice of Rana Sanaullah’s statements regarding the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), terming it as “incompatible with the party’s position.”Rana Sana had said the PML-N had not entered into an alliance with the MQM and the party only approached the second largest party of Sindh for their support in the presidential election. He said, “Our opinion of the MQM still remains the same. The Election Commission will investigate the rigging allegations against the MQM during the May 11 general elections.”However, Federal Information Minister Pervez Rasheed said that Rana Sanaullah has been conveyed to support the reconciliation process between the two parties. The information minister’s statements came soon after the MQM’s Coordination Committee convened an emergency meeting to deliberate on the statements of Rana Sanaullah.Parvez Rasheed asked the MQM not to let the relations affected due to the Punjab law minister’s statements, which he said were incompatible with the party’s position.The minister further stated that his party “highly respected” the mandate of MQM, adding that the MQM has confidence of public since long. REFERENCE: MQM happy as PML-N disowns Sana’s statement Tuesday, July 30, 2013 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-24485-MQM-happy-as-PML-N-disowns-Sanas-statement

PML-N criticises MQM’s statements against Shahbaz: LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) criticised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday for issuing statements against Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Punjab government spokesman Senator Pervaiz Rashid, in a statement, criticised the MQM for issuing statements against Shahbaz without keeping in mind the true facts and the political stature of the Punjab chief minister. Rashid said MQM chief Altaf Hussain should refrain from criticising Shahbaz, as the Punjab chief minister is the most popular politician of the province. The spokesman said the MQM chief had no right to question the patriotism of Shahbaz Sharif, as he was himself in exile for nearly 20 years. staff report REFERENCE: PML-N criticises MQM’s statements against Shahbaz Friday, March 19, 2010 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/19-Mar-2010/pml-n-criticises-mqm-s-statements-against-shahbaz

Why Altaf Hussain went into Exile, let us refresh the memory of MQM, Nawaz Sharif and PML (N)

Altaf Hussain Interview with Jasmeen Manzoor on Nawaz Sharif (ARY NEWS 2009)

 

Altaf Hussain Interview with Jasmeen Manzoor on... by SalimJanMazari

2009: Altaf Hussain asks why then PM Nawaz Sharif did not try to stop the operation: KARACHI, Aug 24 Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to constitute a “truth and reconciliation commission” in the light of disclosures made by Lt-Gen (retd) Naseer Akhtar, a former corps commander of Karachi, and Brig Imtiaz Ahmed, a former director-general of the Intelligence Bureau, that the MQM had nothing to do with the “Jinnahpur conspiracy”. Speaking at a press conference through remote video link from London at the Jinnah Ground on Monday, Mr Hussain said that at a talk show aired on a private television channel, the former Karachi corps commander and the former director-general of the intelligence bureau had made it clear that the allegation of the recovery of maps of Jinnahpur from the offices of the MQM in June 1992 was baseless and that the documents were fake. He recalled that Brig Asif Haroon had called journalists from Punjab after the launch of the operation to brief them about the “Jinnahpur conspiracy”, showing them maps of Jinnahpur and other documents found in the offices of MQM. “But on Sunday, Lt-Gen (retd) Naseer Akhtar and Brig (retd) Imtiaz made it clear that it was a false allegation and an attempt to divide the nation,” the MQM chief added. On the basis of the alleged maps of Jinnahpur, action was ordered against the MQM, the Muttahida chief recalled, alleging that 15,000 workers were killed during the operation and its aftermath. Mr Hussain thanked the two former military officials for “speaking the truth about the Jinnahpur conspiracy”, but lamented that it was too late since it cost the MQM heavily. He wondered why then prime minister Nawaz Sharif did not try to stop the operation. Altaf Husain called upon Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to set up a “truth and reconciliation commission” so that “fact could be distinguished from fiction”. “I can make very harsh comments after the disclosures by two senior former military officials, but I am not doing so for the sake of political harmony. “But Mr Chaudhry (Chief Justice of Pakistan), will it not be appropriate to constitute a truth and reconciliation commission. I leave the decision to you.” “I don`t want confrontation….I want unity and therefore I announce that today I pardon the murderers of my brother and nephew,” Mr Altaf said. The MQM supremo appealed to the Army and the ISI not to pay heed to the propaganda against his party. “We are not traitors….we only want to change the corrupt feudal system in the country. I appeal to the army and the ISI to withdraw old allegations, accept the MQM as a patriotic party and allow it to work across the country.” He also urged the ISI to remove from its archives all documents maligning the MQM. Mr Altaf asked CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry to summon Lt-Gen Naseer Akhtar and Brig Imtiaz to hear their versions on the 1992 operation. He called upon the president, the prime minister and the federal cabinet to “take the nation into confidence” about those “testing times”. A large number of relatives of MQM workers who were killed during the military operation were present at the Jinnah ground. REFERENCE: Retired army officers absolve MQM of Jinnahpur plot: Altaf calls for truth and reconciliation commission By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque August 25th, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/35615 http://www.dawn.com/news/849392/retired-army-officers-absolve-mqm-of-jinnahpur-plot-altaf-calls-for-truth-and-reconciliation-commission

Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad and MQM on Nawaz Sharif and Operation against MQM (ARY NEWS 2009)

 

Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad & MQM on Nawaz Sharif... by SalimJanMazari

THE ghosts of Pakistan`s violent political past continue to haunt the country. Extraordinary statements by a former IB chief and a former corps commander of Karachi have triggered a bitter row between the MQM and PML-N this week. First, some history. During Nawaz Sharif`s first tenure as prime minister, Sindh was facing a grave law and order crisis. Banditry had reached epidemic levels in the interior of the province and the cities in the south were unsettled. At the time, the MQM and the Nawaz Sharif-led alliance, the IJI, were in government together, but the MQM was blamed for fomenting the crisis and the army was called in to deal with the issue. As is the nature of such matters, few things are known for certain. It does seem though that the PML and the MQM were sucked into a conflict where other players, such as President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and army chief Asif Nawaz, had other agendas and axes to grind. The upshot was that the MQM was weakened as a party and its reputation sullied by the allegation that it wanted a separate homeland, the so-called Jinnahpur, which stretched from Karachi to Thatta. Now, Brig Imtiaz Ahmed (retd), formerly close to Mr Sharif and rumoured to have had his recent overtures to the PML-N rebuffed, along with Gen Naseer Akhtar (retd) has claimed that the Jinnahpur maps were fake and the separatist claim baseless. The MQM has leapt on the admissions and gone into overdrive to proclaim its bona fides as a Pakistani party that was maliciously slandered by its opponents. Puzzling as the timing of the retired army officials` statements is and unseemly as the MQM-PML-N spat is, Altaf Hussain has perhaps made the most pertinent suggestion the need for a truth and reconciliation commission. In truth, few political parties in this country can claim to have clean hands when it comes to dealing with one another. So perhaps, as they collectively steer the country`s latest transition to democracy, what the parties need most is to demonstrate that they can bury the past and genuinely work with one another towards institutional stability. A truth and reconciliation committee would be an important first step in that direction. REFERENCE: Jinnahpur debunked August 26th, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/29684

‘Nawaz was well informed about operation on MQM’-- KARACHI: Former corps commander Gen (r) Naseer Akhtar made it clear that former premier Nawaz Sharif was fully informed about the 1992 military operation before it was launched, MQM parliamentarians Ayub Shaikh and Iqbal Qadri said on Tuesday. They said in a joint statement that major decisions such as military operations could not be made without informing the government. PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal had said earlier that Sharif and his government were not taken into confidence before the operation was launched against the MQM. staff report REFERENCE: ‘Nawaz was well informed about operation on MQM’ Wednesday, August 26, 2009 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/26-Aug-2009/nawaz-was-well-informed-about-operation-on-mqm

Kamran Khan on Nawaz Sharif , Mehran Bank Scandal, Operation Cleanup

 

Kamran Khan on Nawaz Sharif , Mehran Bank... by SalimJanMazari

* MQM chief criticises Nawaz Sharif for not stopping military operation against his party in 1992: KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should conduct a judicial inquiry into the killing of 15,000 Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) workers and uncover the facts behind false claims of the party’s involvement in the Jinnahpur conspiracy, party chief Altaf Hussain said on Monday. Addressing a press conference by telephone, he said former corps commander General (r) Naseer Akhtar and former Intelligence Bureau chief Brigadier Imtiaz Ahmed had vindicated the MQM through interviews broadcast on a private TV channel on Sunday. Operation: Hussain also criticised former premier Nawaz Sharif for not stopping the military operation launched against the MQM for their alleged separatist movement in 1992. “Please come forward and tell the nation why you didn’t stop that operation. You were the prime minister at that time,” he said. He said the MQM should be allowed to work freely across the country, adding the party was planning to organise a convention in Punjab after Ramzan. He also demanded an immediate end to the operation in Balochistan. REFERENCE: Altaf calls for inquiry into Jinnahpur charges against MQM by Irfan Ali  Tuesday, August 25, 2009 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/25-Aug-2009/altaf-calls-for-inquiry-into-jinnahpur-charges-against-mqm

Operation Cleanup - 1 (Capital Talk 26 Aug 2009)

 

Operation Cleanup - 1 (Capital Talk 26 Aug 2009) by SalimJanMazari


Operation Cleanup - 2 (Capital Talk 27 Aug 2009)

 

Operation Cleanup - 2 (Capital Talk 27 Aug 2009) by SalimJanMazari

Military launched operation unilaterally: Ahsan Iqbal: LAHORE: The Pakistan Army launched a military operation against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in 1992 without taking the federal government into confidence, a private TV channel quoted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal as saying on Monday. Reacting to a statement by MQM chief Altaf Hussain, Iqbal said then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had no role in the operation. “The MQM is raising all this hue and cry to stall investigations into the May 12 riots in Karachi,” he alleged. He said General Asif Nawaz initiated the operation without any political consultation. daily times monitor REFERENCE: Military launched operation unilaterally: Ahsan Iqbal Tuesday, August 25, 2009 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/25-Aug-2009/military-launched-operation-unilaterally-ahsan-iqbal

Memory Loss of Nawaz Sharif, MQM and PPP.

2011 PML-N hints at legal action against MQM - KARACHI: The PML-N is considering legal action against the MQM parliamentarians involved in “bad-mouthing and using un-parliamentary language” against the PML-N leadership. Ahsan Iqbal, the information secretary of the PML-N, was critical of those political parties which, in spite of being part of the coalition government, were criticising it day in and day out. The PML-N and the Muttahida indulged in a mud-slinging bout on Wednesday, slandering each other’s top leadership. “If they are really sincere, they should leave the government and do politics based on principles,” Mr Iqbal said at a press conference on Saturday. He blamed the government and its coalition partners for the worsening law and order situation. Mr Iqbal also slammed the government for the massive increase in petroleum prices, calling for a reversal of the decision. He called for removal of ‘corrupt’ officials from financial institutions, saying that new appointments should be made through a parliamentary committee. He said the economy was on its knees because of corruption. The PML-N leader said unless the government stopped wastefulness, economy would not pick up, warning that poverty would spawn anarchy and civil war.He said had President Asif Zardari acted upon the advice of Mian Nawaz Sharif, the country would not have been in dire straits. He reiterated his party’s stance that it would not be a part of the “puppet show for a mere change of face”. “My party thinks that any change should be meaningful and decisive.” REFERENCE: PML-N hints at legal action against MQM 2011-01-01 23:40:30 http://beta.dawn.com/news/595522/pml-n-hints-at-legal-action-against-mqm-2

Nawaz Sharif on MQM in London APC 2007 (ARY NEWS 2013)

Nawaz Sharif on MQM in London APC 2007 (ARY... by SalimJanMazari

13) The APC holds General Musharraf, the Sindh governor and the provincial government, and the MQM responsible for the carnage carried out in Karachi on May 12, 2007, and demands an independent judicial enquiry by a judge of the Supreme Court to ascertain and identify the persons involved. 14) The APC condemns recent acts of terrorism in UK. It further resolves to write a joint memorandum to the UK government for initiating necessary legal proceedings against MQM chief Altaf Hussain for his alleged role in incidents of terrorism in Pakistan. REFERENCES : Text of London APC declaration Monday, July 09, 2007 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/09-Jul-2007/text-of-london-apc-declaration UK action against Altaf demanded by Rauf Klasra Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8912&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007 APC agrees to resist Musharraf’s re-election by Rauf Klasra Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8911&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007

MQM on Nawaz Sharif, Operation Cleanup 1992 & MQM workers

 

MQM on Nawaz Sharif, Operation Cleanup 1992... by SalimJanMazari

* Rizvi refers to Nisar as ‘Mr Bean’ --- * MQM leaders accuse Sharifs of having ‘weird likes’ --- * Nisar accuses Altaf of undergoing treatment for mysterious ‘manly disease’ --- ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The war of words between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Wednesday intensified after leaders of both parties started making personal attacks on each others’ leaders, a private TV channel reported. Sitting on different talk shows on private TV channels and talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, leaders of both the parties did not even refrain from using abusive language and profanities against each other, besides hurling threats of serious consequences. PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar said that the MQM was a party of “dacoits”, adding that a person who was sitting abroad for the past 19 years could not bring a revolution in Pakistan. He said if MQM chief Altaf Hussain was sincere with Pakistan, he should return to the country. Separately, commenting on Nisar’s comments, MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi said the PML-N was the first to make personal attacks on the MQM leadership. He also referred to Nisar as “Mr Bean”. He said the PML-N leaders would not find a place to stand in the country if a “Pandora’s box was opened”. He said the PML-N leaders used to meet with generals in the dark of night, adding that the PML-N chief was General Jilani’s production, General Zia’s follower and was grateful to General Pervez Musharraf. MQM’s Waseem Akhtar said Nisar was bald and had put on a wig, while Nawaz and Shahbaz both got hair transplants during their forced stay in England. He said it seemed they wanted to have “some romantic affairs”. He said the PML-N leadership had done nothing for the people of Lahore, adding that the people would beat them with shoes. The MQM leaders accused the Sharifs of having “weird likes”, as at a women’s convention, Nawaz had compared himself to Shahjahan and his wife to Mumtaz Mahal. They even went to the extent of saying that Nawaz’s daughter had left the house to force the family to get her married to her father’s ADC. They threatened that both the Sharifs would not be allowed to come to Karachi in future unless they apologised for the indecent language against their party chief. Earlier, Chaudhry Nisar, while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, had accused Altaf Hussain of undergoing treatment for a mysterious “manly disease” in London, and said if the MQM did not stop using indecent language against the Sharifs, his party would make public the records of that rehab centre. Nisar even asked Altaf to apologise to the nation for all his political, financial and moral ills. He asked how the Sharif brothers had made property worth millions and become owners of 25 factories. He further asked which medical treatment Shahbaz received from London, adding that sex stimulants were recovered from Nawaz’s secretariat when Musharraf took over. daily times monitor/ staff report REFERENCE: PML-N, MQM tear each other apart Thursday, December 30, 2010 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/main/30-Dec-2010/pml-n-mqm-tear-each-other-apart

Abid Sher Ali on MQM & MQM on Nawaz Sharif Letter to India

 

Abid Sher Ali on MQM & MQM on Nawaz Sharif... by SalimJanMazari

2009 : Where PPP, PML-N and MQM stood on Jinnahpur in 1992 ISLAMABAD: If history has any relevance in our politics then the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ñ so closely allied today — were daggers drawn over the Jinnahpur conspiracy in 1992 and the PPP was accusing the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of cover-up while the then-Nawaz Sharif government was pleading complete innocence. Reports carried by leading newspapers on the issue during 1992 show the Nawaz-led IJI government had completely denied the existence of Jinnahpur conspiracy but the PPP-led PDA (Pakistan Democratic Alliance) opposition charged the government of covering up the MQM’s conspiracy. However, the Jamaat-e-Islami, a coalition partner in the government, once moved an adjournment motion in the National Assembly to discuss the Jinnahpur conspiracy. It was no less than opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who had accused the Nawaz regime of trying to cover up the conspiracy of the MQM which, according to her, wanted to make a separate homeland with the support of India. The incumbent President, Asif Ali Zardari, had also demanded action against Jinnahpur planners. Today though the MQM targets the PML-N for the Jinnahpur conspiracy, during those times MQM Chief Altaf Hussain was even found hailing the Nawaz government for exposing Jinnahpur. Altaf Hussain also demanded a probe into the matter by the Supreme Court. Similarly, the PML-N, which today passes the buck on the Army and intelligence agencies to have created the Jinnahpur drama, during those days insisted that the plot was a figment of imagination of the PPP. The then-interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat was also reported to have said the Army used to operate as per the directive of the government. In order to have a true sense of the political divide of those times and the position of different political parties on the issue of Jinnahpur, briefs of statements and reports of newspapers of different political leaders and analysts on the issue are reproduced here. Jang Karachi quoted Benazir Bhutto on July 6, 1992 as saying if Beharis are settled in Sindh it would pave the way for Jinnahpur and Sindhudesh. She said Sindh had proved to be waterloo for the past rulers and it may also become the same for Nawaz Sharif. July 18, 1992 Jang Karachi reported Brigadier Haroon, the Army spokesman, as saying in a press briefing that the MQM had planned a separate homeland. The News of July 17 quoted him as saying there were confirmed intelligence reports, revealing the MQM plans. The map of the planned country was also discovered during the operation, he claimed. On Oct 11, 1992 Jang Lahore ran a story filed by its reporter Azhar Sohail which talked of the Army high command providing documentary evidence to the government that the MQM was planning to create an independent state called Jinnahpur comprising Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Karachi and all those areas of upper Sindh that are oil rich. The report said the corps commander meeting in a recent meeting discussed the issue and decided to provide all the material to the government. Politician Meraj Muhammad Khan was reported to have said on Oct 12, 1992 that the Jinnahpur map issue is a fraud. A day later, Shaheen Sehbai, who is presently Group Editor of The News, reported for Dawn “A House losing its temper” and wrote in his Press Gallery, “The opposition was pressing for a debate on Jinnahpur, the supposed brainchild of the MQM to separate Urdu-speaking areas from Pakistan.” The same day The News reported the voting out of NA motion by the treasury benches on Jinnahpur. The News also reported the then deputy opposition leader Farooq Leghari to have said the prime minister (Nawaz Sharif) was involved in the Jinnahpur conspiracy and claimed that the government opposed motion on the issue because it did not want to go into details. Dawn on Oct 14, 1992 carried MQM Chief Altaf Hussain’s statement in which he called for a Supreme Court probe to investigate the charges of Jinnahpur against the MQM. The same newspaper reported on Oct 15 about two separate adjournment motions moved by the PDA and Jamaat-e-Islami members to discuss the Jinnahpur conspiracy. In a press conference on Oct 17, the then key minister of Nawaz regime Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Jinnahpur plot did not exist. “The government would not allow anyone to subvert the rights of Muhajirs. It is baseless that we have ever discussed the creation of the so-called Jinnahpur with the MQM,” he was quoted to have said. Nisar also dispelled the impression that the whole MQM was a terrorist organisation and insisted the good and bad people were in every party. He asked Altaf Hussain to respond to the allegations levelled against his party. The same day ANP Chief Ajmal Khattak said there is no truth in the reports that the MQM had planned anything to break Pakistan or to establish Jinnahpur.October 19 newspapers carry ISPR press release, conveying Army’s denial of the knowledge of the Jinnahpur plan. “The Army had no evidence concerning the so-called Jinnahpur plan, it is clarified that the newspaper story in question is baseless. The Army has neither handed over to the government any document or map as reported, not is it in possession of any evidence concerning the so-called ‘Jinnahpur’ plan. It is also factually wrong that the matter was discussed at any meeting of the corps commander.” But the same day Benazir Bhutto in a statement in the National Assembly said the government was consciously covering up the Jinnahpur conspiracy and is backing up the MQM from day one. Nawa-e-Waqt quoted her as saying the motive of the organisation (MQM) is to create a separate homeland with the support of India. She demanded of the removal of Nawaz Sharif from the government for supporting, abetting and financing the dismemberment of Pakistan. She said it was of no use to blame Altaf Hussain. “His partner, supporter and guide Nawaz Sharif must go,” The News reported on October 19. The same day the then-interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was reported to have said in the National Assembly a day before that Jinnahpur is a non-issue and the brainchild of the PPP. Farooq Leghari, however, demanded judicial probe into the plot and contended that disclosure of the Jinnahpur plot had exposed the MQM’s anti-state activities which needed further investigations. Shaheen Sehbai in Dawn’s “From Press Gallery” wrote on October 19, “Jinnahpur is all fiction”. “Including the opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, could hardly produce anything about the much trumpeted Jinnahpur beyond newspaper clippings or a reported statement of an Army spokesman made in front of a team of Islamabad journalists. Even that was said to have been denied by the Army,” wrote Sehbai. The News of Oct 19 also quoted Asif Ali Zardari to have desiring action against Jinnahpur planners. “Zardari said the denial of the plan made by the leader of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad was meaningless,” the newspaper read. In his report “The last refuge of a scoundrel”, Nusrat Javed, senior journalist, wrote in The News on Oct 19, “A military spokesman, Brigadier Haroon, told this to a group of newsmen visiting Karachi in mid-July that there were confirmed intelligence reports that some of the MQM leaders were trying to create a separate state. This correspondent was present at the Army briefing in Karachi where such allegations were made and one reported about them like the rest of the newsmen present. Reference to Haroon’s allegations demands another simple answer, i.e., whether the Nawaz government agrees to the perception expressed by a senior Army officer?” Tariq Butt of The News on October 19 also reported of Benazir Bhutto’s accusing the government of cover-up. “When Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain described the Jinnahpur conspiracy as a dangerous figment of the PDA’s imagination, opposition MNAs accused the government of being a party to the plot,” the story filed by Butt read. The same day Nawa-e-Waqt ran a story quoting Benazir Bhutto to have said the Army had uncovered the Jinnahpur conspiracy but the government was silent on the issue. Dawn on October 21, 1992 reported Altaf Hussain to have been praising the government. The report headlined, “Altaf hails govt for exposing Jinnahpur”. According to the report, the MQM chief said the government (of Nawaz Sharif) and its agencies in the same effective manner should display a positive attitude to review the baseless allegations levelled against the MQM to bring about an improvement in the present constitutional and political crises, particularly in Sindh.” Oct 21, 1992 Jang published a story based on Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that was though appeared conflicting with the PPP stance at that time, suits today’s politics of the PPP and the MQM. The newspaper reported Mr Zardari to have said in a court premises in Karachi that the Jinnahpur scandal was created to malign the MQM. The same day Dawn reported Farooq Leghari to have been refuting the government’s claim that Jinnahpur was a figment of imagination of the PPP. He also demanded constitution of a high-powered commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan and comprising all the four high court chief justices to look into the matter. Several years later on December 14, 1998 The News carried a statement of Altaf Hussain on the same issue. Altaf Hussain demanded probe into reports about Jinnahpur and said the separate Jinnahpur state allegations was a well-planned conspiracy which was used as a message for the Muhajir community that they would continue to be victimised if they did not demand a separate state. REFERENCE: Where PPP, PML-N and MQM stood on Jinnahpur in 1992 BY Ansar Abbasi Thursday, September 03,  2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=196297&Cat=2&dt=9/3/2009

Gen. (R) Tariq Pervaiz & Muhammad Anwar (MQM) on General Pervez Musharraf (Meray Mutabiq – 29-8-09)

 

Gen. (R) Tariq Pervaiz & Muhammad Anwar (MQM... by SalimJanMazari

2009 RAWALPINDI: Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf had long-standing links with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and used to visit ‘nine zero’ in Karachi on one pretext or the other even when he was a brigadier. He used to openly support the party during the corps commanders conferences and once he had pleaded their case by demanding compensation for those killed in the Karachi operation. At one of the conferences, Gen Jehangir Karamat asked our views in this regard. Only I raised my voice demanding that the Punjabis, the Pakhtuns and others killed there may also be compensated. The recent disclosures of Brig (retd) Imtiaz seem to be at the behest of MQM or some one else, said former corps commander Quetta Lt Gen (retd) Tariq Pervez while participating in the Geo News programme “Meray Mutabiq”. He quoted the then chief of the staff Gen Iqbal that Musharraf used to visit ‘90’ (MQM headquarters) in the staff car when he was a brigadier. Tariq Pervez said the instant appearance of Brig Imtiaz and his disclosures obviously force every one to doubt his sincerity. He said the MQM is the major beneficiary in this regard. Tracing the background of Brig Imtiaz in the intelligence department, he said every one under him used to be afraid of him as he had the tendency not only to tease people on different excuses but at times had spoiled their careers. When asked as to what were his differences with Musharraf and why he, as corps commander, had met Nawaz Sharif bypassing him, Lt Gen Tariq Pervez said their differences on professional matters were old. They had multiplied during the Kargil adventure where Gen Mehmood and Gen Aziz were also involved. During the briefings on Kargil, Musharraf used to boast over his successes. However, I wanted to be heard in those meetings and transfer my long experiences as commander over the Line of Control. I was keen that the army benefits from my experiences. Gen Tariq said at the beginning of the Kargil conflict, Musharraf, Mehmood and their cronies had tried to display their feelings that they had achieved what I had thought impossible. I conveyed that like every Pakistani in uniform, I would have been too happy if the Indians were beaten. Later it was proved that only fabricated stories were conveyed to the troops and the public. He said our causalities were in great number and the claims about building bunkers proved false. The fact remains that no precautionary measures were made to ensure victory or the safety of life of the troops. Tariq said he had met Musharraf early in October 1999 on news that he was immediately being retired from service. “He just gave me a couple of days more when requested that sufficient time should be given so that one can make up his mind as it had been a long service in the Army”. It was Gen Tariq’s perception that by the time he met Musharraf, he had already made up his mind to overthrow the Nawaz Sharif government. “The day he took over, it was my last day in uniform,” Gen Tariq said. He recalled that although it smelled fishy on October 12, 1999, but he never knew that such a major step was on the anvil. Tracing the track that moved Musharraf to the office of the Army chief, Gen Tariq disclosed that he used to meet Nawaz Sharif without taking even Army Chief Gen Jehangir Karamat into confidence and assured complete loyalty and service, if promoted. Meetings of Musharraf with Nawaz were a usual table talk in the Army circles in those days. Taking part in the programme, Muhammad Anwar Khan of the MQM International Secretariat denied that because of the disclosures by Brig Imtiaz, MQM or PPP benefited, adding, rather history was being corrected. Praising Imtiaz, he said he is a special person and thus speaks the truth to benefit the country. He had played exceptionally well by getting the history corrected. It’s not necessary to probe as to why such disclosures were made at this stage but we are happy that MQM is now free of wrong allegations and baseless charges of trying to establish Jinnah Pur. Anwar recalled that MQM’s character assassination was carried out during 1992 and from time to time thereafter. “We were described and understood as traitors,” he said. He recalled that not a single case is on record against Altaf Hussain or the MQM hierarchy before the 1992 operation. The cases were established thereafter on political grounds. With regard to the meeting between Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari, he said, “We are politicians and thus believe in democratic norms and doors of talks remain open in democracy”. In his analysis, Dr Shahid Masood said players of politics are bent upon defeating each other but the game had actually begun prior to final ruling on the NRO. He pointed out that there are rules and regulations for every game but in the power politics there is free for all. At times they had erected such strong protection wall that there remained no exit for them also and they were caught in their sanctuaries. He said Brig (retd) Imtiaz through his initial statements has not only put those forces including the PML-N, Jamaat-e-Islami and others in the former IJI on the defensive but again dragged his former bosses including Hamid Gul, Asad Durrani and Gen Aslam Beg in the buried tales that they become fed up with. Obviously this directly benefited both the PPP and MQM, he said. REFERENCE: Musharraf had already made up mind to remove Nawaz: Gen Tariq News Desk Tuesday, September 01, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24238&Cat=13&dt=9/1/2009 REFERENCE: Altaf greets ‘Punjabi representative party’ on its big win May 12, 2013 - Updated 01 PKT http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-100566-Altaf-greets-Punjabi-representative-party-on-its-big-win GEO TV Altaf Hussain greets ‘Punjabi representative party’ on its big win http://www.geo.tv/article-100566-Altaf-Hussain-greets-Punjabi-representative-party-on-its-big-win GEO TV Urdu پنجابیوں کی نمائندہ جماعت کوکامیابی پرمبارکباد پیش کرتا ہوں،الطاف حسین http://urdu.geo.tv/UrduDetail.aspx?ID=100566 The real cause of MQM-PML hostility BY Amir Mir Thursday, September 03, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=196296&Cat=2&dt=9/3/2009 Establishment — the main target in current fiasco BY Ansar Abbasi Wednesday, September 02, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24254&Cat=13&dt=9/2/2009 Brig Asif says he never saw ‘Jinnahpur’ map Wednesday, September 02, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24259&Cat=13&dt=9/2/2009 The politics of Brigadier ‘Billa’ BY Tahir Hasan Khan Monday, August 31, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=195836&Cat=4&dt=8/31/2009

Pakistani Politicians Take Pakistanis for a Ride.

2013 KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday officially announced its "unconditional support" for ruling party Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. “The leader of the party, Altaf Hussain, has announced unconditional support to Mamnoon Hussain, the PML-N’s nominee for the presidential election,” MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi told a press conference at the party's 'Nine-Zero' headquarters at Azizabad. Accompanied by a delegation of the PML-N in Karachi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also formally invited the MQM, the largest political party in Karachi, to join them in the PML-N-led federal coalition government. Thanking the PML-N for the invitation, Siddiqi said the offer would be discussed with the party's senior leadership. The PML-N delegation, comprising the finance minister, presidential candidate Mamnoon Hussain, and Information Minister Pervez Rasheed, first called on Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad at the Governor House in Karachi. Sources said that the Sindh governor spoke with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over telephone. The PML-N delegation later visited 'Nine-Zero' where they met with members of the party's Rabita Committee (central coordination committee). “If elected, I will try to ensure that I do not serve as the president of the PML-N, but a president for all political parties,” Mamnoon Hussain told a press conference following the meeting. “I will also pay special attention to Karachi for a viable solution to the problems of the city.” Meanwhile, the ruling party in Sindh province, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has announced that it will boycott the presidential elections, set to take place on July 30 following the announcement of final candidates by the Election Commission on July 27. PPP candidate Raza Rabbani pulled out of the race at the last minute in protest of the revision of the election date from Aug 6 to July 30, following a decision by the Supreme Court on a petition by the ruling party. The nomination papers of Mamnoon Hussain and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra of PML-N and Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) were accepted on Friday. According to the Constitution, the president will be chosen for five years by an electoral college of 706 lawmakers, including 104 senators and 342 members of the National Assembly and 260 of the provincial assemblies. 50 seats of the national and provincial assemblies are currently vacant, by-polls for which are scheduled for August 22, almost a month after the election of the new president. REFERENCE: MQM pledges 'unconditional support' for PML-N presidential nominee by ASIF MEHMOOD 2013-07-27 01:25:54 http://dawn.com/news/1032084/mqm-pledges-unconditional-support-for-pml-n-presidential-nominee

Brigadier Imtiaz with Dr Danish (Sawal Yeh Hai - ARY 2009)




Brigadier Imtiaz with Dr Danish (Sawal Yeh Hai... by SalimJanMazari

2009: LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Quaid Altaf Hussain has demanded formation of a national truth and reconciliatory commission to put facts before the nation after astonishing revelations that the Jinnahpur map and the plan never existed and it was only an excuse to start the June 19, 1992 military operation against the MQM. Two former military men have disclosed that the alleged map of Jinnahpur was a ‘drama’ and its publication was meant to malign a democratic party. Former Intelligence Bureau director-general Brig (retd) Imtiaz, who was a major player in the 1992 operation against the MQM and its cadres, confessed that the Jinnahpur map “was a drama that was aimed at creating a rift amongst various sections of the nation”. Known as one of the most influential spy officers, who played a key role in shaping political events in Pakistan, Brigadier Imtiaz Ahmed further confessed that he carried out research into the allegations and found that no such thing as Jinnahpur existed and no such map was found from any office of the MQM. The retired Army officer further said the operation, which was started during the reign of the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was launched after full consultation and with the full knowledge of the proper chain-of-command, which included the then-Army chief Asif Nawaz, president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Gen (retd) Nasir Akhtar, who was the corps commander Karachi at the time of the operation, also confessed he had no knowledge of the Jinnahpur map and that was the reason why the ISPR withdrew it two days after its publication. Addressing a press conference at the MQM international secretariat here on Sunday night, Altaf said his party’s stance stood vindicated and termed the confessional statements by two pivotal charters of the operation as the victory of truth and justice, and proof that the establishment was scared of the party’s pro-middle class and anti-corruption and feudalism message. Congratulating the whole nation, the party chief said his thoughts were filled with the memories of those 15,000 who had been killed cold-bloodedly. Altaf said since then his party had been maligned and portrayed as a ‘traitor’ at every opportunity but the truth has prevailed and it has been proven that his party believed in a strong, united and prosperous Pakistan and the operation against it was absolutely wrong. “Allegations are always hurtful whether they be about personal corruption or character assassination but the allegation of being a traitor and on the pay of an enemy is the worst of all accusations. “We were put on the front pages of newspapers for being behind the Jinnahpur ‘conspiracy’ and the whole of Punjab was turned against us as we were considered the enemy within. “Now the two main characters of the 1992 operation have spoken the truth, may I question what about the doubts that have been seeded baselessly in the minds of Pakistani people that the MQM is a traitor?” Altaf said he and those who lost loved ones during the operation will always be bereaved but they would forgive the blood of their loved ones, including Altaf Hussain’s brother Nasir Hussain and a nephew who were killed during the same operation. He said after being vindicated by the two men, he could ratchet up the pressure and complicate things but added the country was passing through a critical phase and any kind of instability and heated situation would not be in the best interest of the country. “I extend the hand of friendship and unity towards all for the solidarity of Pakistan.” He appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to form a truth and reconciliation commission to find facts behind the anti-MQM operation and also call the two former Army officials and know from the horse’s mouth as to what lay behind the operation and why 15,000 Pakistanis were killed, hundreds forced to flee the country and dozens still missing. He asked Pakistan Muslim League-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif to state before the nation why he allowed the Army operation, whether he was consulted, knew full facts behind it and why he didn’t intervene to stop it. Addressing the current military leadership, Altaf said he didn’t believe the present command had anything to do with the injustice done 18 years ago in its name but appealed to the Army and intelligence agencies not to be part of any conspiracy against the MQM and “welcome the MQM with open arms as a truly patriotic party which loves Pakistan as much as any other Pakistani does”. Altaf said the 1992 operation was unleashed on the party to break it into pieces but the resilience of the party workers and the strength of the MQM message and its connection with the masses helped the party stay united. The MQM founder hoped a lesson will be learnt and no attempts will be made to stop the party from taking its secular message of women’s equality, education for all, enlightenment and elimination of the corrupt feudal system in all parts of Pakistan. REFERENCE: Jinnahpur conspiracy BY Murtaza Ali Shah Tuesday, August 25, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24073&Cat=13&dt=8/25/2009 REFERENCE: Altaf greets ‘Punjabi representative party’ on its big win May 12, 2013 - Updated 01 PKT http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-100566-Altaf-greets-Punjabi-representative-party-on-its-big-win GEO TV Altaf Hussain greets ‘Punjabi representative party’ on its big win http://www.geo.tv/article-100566-Altaf-Hussain-greets-Punjabi-representative-party-on-its-big-win GEO TV Urdu پنجابیوں کی نمائندہ جماعت کوکامیابی پرمبارکباد پیش کرتا ہوں،الطاف حسین http://urdu.geo.tv/UrduDetail.aspx?ID=100566

MQM on Nawaz Sharif Politics and Bank Default (Samaa TV 2011)




MQM on Nawaz Sharif Politics and Bank Default... by SalimJanMazari

2009 ISLAMABAD: Secretary Information PML-N Ahsan Iqbal has said that the military had initiated the 1992 operation without taking the government of the time into confidence. Talking to the media here on Monday, he said the MQM chief had been levelling allegations against the PML-N for being responsible for the 1992 military action in Karachi, but General Asif Nawaz had initiated the operation against the MQM without the approval of the government. According to Ahsan Iqbal, the previous democratic governments did not enjoy complete authority. The MQM is levelling allegation to divert attention from investigations into the May 12, 2007, incident, he added. REFERENCE: ‘Military didn’t consult govt on 1992 operation’ Tuesday, August 25, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24074&Cat=13&dt=8/25/2009

Nawaz Sharif and Altaf Hussain on each other (Aapas Ki Baat 27 July 2013)

 

Nawaz Sharif & Altaf Hussain on each other... by SalimJanMazari

2011: KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has decided to hold a rally here on Sunday in protest against the use of derogatory language against President Asif Ali Zardari by leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-N during a public meeting in Lahore on Friday. The decision was taken by the MQM coordination committee at an emergency meeting held on Friday evening. The meeting decided that a rally would be held on Sunday at Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road to express solidarity with the president. Speaking to participants of the meeting, MQM chief Altaf Hussain condemned the use of derogatory language against President Zardari by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other speakers. In a statement, the MQM chief said that the derogatory language could also harm the integrity of the country. REFERENCE: MQM to hold pro-Zardari rally on Sunday 2011-10-28 22:13:15 http://dawn.com/news/669719/mqm-to-hold-pro-zardari-rally-on-sunday

Threats and Memory Loss of MQM

 

Threats & Memory Loss of MQM by SalimJanMazari

2009 : 60 MQM men buried in Margalla hills in 1997: Shujaat ISLAMABAD: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Husain has disclosed that at least 60 activists of the MQM were buried in the Margalla Hills of the Federal Capital in 1997. Talking to a TV channel on Wednesday, he said the said activists, apprehended from Karachi, were shifted to Islamabad, where they were tortured to death and later buried in the Margalla Hills. No investigations of any sort were held regarding the killing of the detainees.” Chaudhry Shujaat further disclosed: “I was Federal Interior Minister at that time, but Chairman Accountability Bureau Saif-ur-Rahman was more influential than me. The map, which the law-enforcement agencies exposed, has no reality. Responding to a query, he elucidated that trial for the former dictator Pervez Musharraf would not be held. Shujaat said he was personally not in favour of presenting the resolution in the House. The incumbents, as at this juncture of time, should focus their attention to relieve the masses from prevailing energy and commodity crisis, instead of indulging in dead issues. The PML chief said the political leadership of the country was taken into confidence in connection with the 1992 military operation in Karachi. The federal cabinet was also not briefed before the military operation in Karachi, he said. The PML-Q leader expressed his anger that the issues of 1992 military operation and ‘Jinnahpur’ were being aired at this particular time to divert the attention of the masses from prevailing crisis. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the PML-N, Siddiq-ul-Farooq, while refuting the allegations levelled by Chaudhry Shujaat, emphasised that the PML-N chief had nothing to do with any sort of genocide during his both the tenures. Farooq said Chaudhry Shujaat Husain was federal interior minister in 1997 and should have resigned from his office, if he had any moral courage, over the ëkilling of 60 activists of the MQM in the Federal Capitalí. REFERENCE: 60 MQM men buried in Margalla hills in 1997: Shujaat Thursday, August 27, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=24131&Cat=13&dt=8/27/2009

Nawaz Sharif and Militant Wings in Sindh Assembly, Pakistan.

KARACHI, July 26: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement announced on Friday ‘unconditional’ support for PML-N candidate Mamnoon Hussain in the presidential election after a delegation of the ruling party visited its Nine Zero headquarters to seek its support. The support strengthened the position of the PML-N because of the number of legislators of Muttahida in the parliament and Sindh Assembly. The development provided the beleaguered MQM with a political respite because, according to sources, in return for its support the ruling party invited it to join the federal government. It was the first visit of a high-level PML-N delegation to the MQM headquarters since the parting of ways between Nawaz Sharif and the MQM after the assassination of former Sindh governor Hakim Muhammad Said in 1998 and imposition of governor’s rule in the province. Although the MQM had unconditionally supported Mr Sharif during the election for prime minister, relations between the two parties remained uneasy because of the bitter past. But the enthusiastic welcome given to the PML-N delegation and the subsequent announcement about MQM’s support for Mr Hussain made it clear that the two parties had decided to bury the hatchet and make a fresh start. Both parties insisted that the support was ‘unconditional’ and the sources said the PML-N had made an offer to the MQM to join the federal government. Modalities in this regard would be sorted out after the presidential election. REFERENCE: MQM, PML-N in new bonhomie http://dawn.com/news/1032156/mqm-pml-n-in-new-bonhomie

Reality of Nawaz Sharif and PML (N) Alliance with MQM.




Reality of Nawaz Sharif & PML (N) Alliance with... by SalimJanMazari

2011 Daily Dawn : While the MQM chief criticised Nawaz Sharif, he termed President Asif Zardari his brother. His reply was in the affirmative when asked whether the Pakistan People’s Party and the MQM could sit together again. “No leniency must be shown to a criminal regardless of his party affiliation. The extortion racket should be curbed… if the PPP is ready to end such things then we would also think about going with the PPP. If they cannot do this then we will remain their friends but stay in the opposition.” 2011 Daily Times : On the Charter of Democracy (COD), he said that both the PPP and Nawaz Sharif had failed to implement it and termed it a document of false promises. 2011 The News International : LONDON: MQM chief Altaf Hussain on Friday kept the entire country on edge for hours as he addressed his workers and journalists from London, complaining about conspiracies to eliminate him and breaking up Pakistan but repeatedly offered the services of his party to the Pakistan Army and ISI to help save the country. In a countrywide televised press conference, the MQM leader accused the PML-N of Nawaz Sharif of having large arsenals of weapons. REFERENCES: MQM in the way of plot against Pakistan: Altaf 2011-09-09 22:38:14 http://beta.dawn.com/news/657920/mqm-chief-altaf-hussain-addresses-supporters No super power can disintegrate Pakistan: Altaf Saturday, September 10, 2011 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\09\10\story_10-9-2011_pg1_1 MQM at beck and call of Army: Altaf by Murtaza Ali Shah Saturday, September 10, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-8679-MQM-at-beck-and-call-of-Army-Altaf London calling: Altaf Hussain hits back at friends, foes By Saba ImtiazPublished: September 9, 2011 http://tribune.com.pk/story/248847/altaf-hussain-addresses-televised-press-conference/

MQM Exposes Militant Wings of Nawaz Sharif and PML (Nawaz)




MQM Exposes Militant Wings of Nawaz Sharif... by SalimJanMazari

KARACHI: The political parties, which are being targeted by the Pakistani Taliban for having ‘secular views,’ late on Tuesday said the coming May 11 polls are being hijacked by “local and international establishment,” DawnNews reported.Speaking during a joint-press conference held at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters Nine-Zero in Karachi, Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Rehman Malik and Senator Shahi Syed reiterated their stance to carry on with their respective electoral campaigns despite the terrorist threats.At least 60 people have been killed in attacks targeting politicians and political parties across Pakistan since April 11.The three main parties of the outgoing coalition government – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and MQM – had earlier in the day also rejected the call to bring in the Army in Sindh.All three leaders, during the press conference, vowed to foil the conspiracy of bringing an extremist, pro-Taliban and right-wing government in the country.“Militants want to divide Pakistan by bringing a pro-Taliban prime minister in the coming elections,” said former interior minister and PPP leader Rehman Malik.He blamed the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Punjab of providing cover to banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The prevailing sectarian violence in Karachi and elsewhere in the country is due to that patronage, he added.“Pakistani and international establishment are behind keeping the three liberal political parties of the country away from coming into power,” said MQM’s Farooq Sattar. He said there was no level playing field being provided to all parties on parity.The MQM leader urged the interim government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to fulfil their constitutional responsibility of ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.ANP’s president of its Sindh chapter, Shahi Syed said that a conspiracy is being hatched against spirit of Islam and the survival of Pakistan. “Terrorists cannot frighten us……..its about time we stand together against the militants,” said Syed. “Taliban were assassins, are and will remain that,” he added.The three leaders, prior to the press conference, held a consultative session to device a joint-electoral strategy for the coming polls. REFERENCE: Polls are being hijacked by Establishment, blame PPP, MQM, ANP http://x.dawn.com/2013/05/01/polls-are-being-hijacked-by-establishment-blame-pppmqmanp/ Daily Dawn Election Special http://x.dawn.com/category/elections-2/elections-top-stories/page/8/

Supreme Court Verdict on Karachi Killings http://www.scribd.com/doc/129263983/Supreme-Court-Verdict-on-Karachi-Killings

Supreme Court Verdict on Karachi Killings by Aamir Mughal

Nawaz Sharif on Militant Wings and Mafia in Sindh Assembly (December 2012)



Nawaz Sharif on Militant Wings & Mafia in Sindh... by SalimJanMazari

2011: Nawaz for ban on parties harbouring militants : MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-N president Nawaz Sharif said here on Friday that the Supreme Court in its judgment on the law and order situation in Karachi had asked political parties to expel criminals from their ranks, adding that it was now parliament’s duty to ban all organisations that had militant wings. Talking to journalists at Multan airport, Mr Sharif said he was optimistic that in the forthcoming elections the masses would reject the political parties that harboured militants because these were working against the county’s interest. Answering a question, he said new provinces should be created on administrative grounds and not on linguistic basis. He warned there would be a Karachi-like situation in a new province made on the linguistic basis. “Ethnic war is the root-cause of lawlessness in Karachi while elements involved in criminal activities are taking shelter in political parties,” he said. He said the Punjab government had launched several development projects in south Punjab and rejected allegations that the provincial government led by his party was not giving southern Punjab its due share in funds. Mr Sharif said the chief minister of Punjab had left Lahore and camped in southern Punjab when the region was hit by floods last year; more Danish schools were being built in southern Punjab than in other areas of the province and in the Yellow cab scheme also a sizeable share had been given to the region. 2013 : KARACHI: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif expressed his resolve to eliminate the militant wings of all the political parties in the country after coming to power. The PML-N chief made this commitment on Thursday while talking to newsmen at the Jinnah Terminal here and said the PML-N would revive the life and prosperity of Karachi and restore the status of this mega city as the city of lights. He declared that there was no militant wing of any political party in the Punjab and the election campaign was going on peacefully in the province without any disturbance. “Everybody is disturbed due to the situation in Karachi. Extortionists are moving freely and businessmen are being kidnapped for ransom,”with Lahore through motorways. He claimed he truly loved Karachi and wanted the city to return to its normal life like the past. He advised the PPP leadership not to mislead the masses and tell the nation about what they had done for the country with their performance over the past five years. The PML-N leader claimed that those labelling him as ‘Taliban prime minister’ had done nothing for the country and the people would reject them in the upcoming elections. REFERENCE: Nawaz for ban on parties harbouring militants http://x.dawn.com/2011/10/08/nawaz-for-ban-on-parties-harbouring-militants/ Parties with ‘militant wings’ must be banned, says Nawaz 2011-10-07 06:52:02 http://beta.dawn.com/news/664480/parties-with-military-wings-must-be-banned-says-nawaz

Militant wings of parties to be eliminated: Nawaz by Tahir Hasan Khan Friday, May 03, 2013 http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-22627-Militant-wings-of-parties-to-be-eliminated-Nawaz

Parveen Rehman (1957 - 2013)

A 2009 WikiLeaks cable released yesterday adds new context to the discussion following last weekend's assault on a Pakistani naval base in Karachi. The Cable, signed by Consul General Stephen Fakan, surveys the threat posed by the city's armed political gangs: The police in Karachi are only one of several armed groups in the city, and they are probably not the most numerous or best equipped. Many neighborhoods are considered by the police to be no-go zones in which even the intelligence services have a difficult time operating. Very few of the groups are traditional criminal gangs. Most are associated with a political party, a social movement, or terrorist activity, and their presence in the volatile ethnic mix of the world,s fourth largest city creates enormous political and governance challenges. The cable surveys armed groups associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party, Muhajir Qaumi Movement (H), and Sunni Tehreek (ST). Interestingly, it argues that because of the deterioration of the rest of Pakistan, Karachi has become something of an "island of stability" but warns that the city "still has a number of well-armed political and religious factions and the potential to explode into violent ethnic and religious conflict given the wrong circumstances." Reference: WikiLeaks: Karachi gangs outnumber police Posted By Joshua Keating Tuesday, May 24, 2011 - 12:47 PM http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/24/wikileaks_karachi_gangs_outnumber_police Viewing cable 09KARACHI138, SINDH - THE GANGS OF KARACHI http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/04/09KARACHI138.html

KARACHI: A media-shy social worker who devoted her life to the development of the impoverished neighbourhoods across the country, was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town on Wednesday. She was 56. Parveen Rehman was born in Dhaka in 1957. She did part of her schooling in the former East Pakistan and migrated to Karachi after the fall of Dhaka. She received a bachelor’s of engineering in architecture from Karachi’s Dawood College of Engineering and Technology in 1981 and joined a private architect’s firm. A few months later, she left the job and joined the Orangi Pilot Project initiated by Akhtar Hameed Khan to bring healthy changes to the lives of impoverished residents of Orangi. “The late Akhtar persuaded her to join the OPP. We both joined the OPP in 1982 and since then we worked in close association,” said Anwer Rashid, co-director of the OPP-RTI (Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute). Mr Rashid choked on words as he described his working relationship with Ms Rehman. Noted town planner Arif Hasan, who is member of the OPP’s board, briefly visited Ms Rehman’s home and left early as he was deeply distressed like dozens of her friends and colleagues who had gathered at her house in Safari Boulevard in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. “She was a courageous and brave lady. She was a true pupil of Akhtar Hameed Khan who worked in an environment where most people will avoid to work,” said Mr Rashid. Soon after the private TV networks flashed news of her death, a large number of people flocked to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where her body had been shifted. Eyewitnesses said those who gathered in the hospital and outside her home, where she was living alone with her octogenarian mother, included dozens of residents of Orangi who were mourning her death. “She was a great help for us. She was just like an elder sister to whom we would go whenever a problem struck us,” said a middle-aged man who identified himself as Azmat Ali. Arif Pervez, development professional and a friend of hers, said Ms Rehman had been receiving death threats for a long time, apparently from the mafia involved in grabbing precious land on the fringes of the city. “She had been receiving threats on her life for a long time. We had discussed this several times but every time I advised her to take care of herself, she smiled, waved her hand and said what will they do, I have to work a lot and that too in the middle of the people,” Mr Pervez said. Ms Rehman was an ardent compiler of the record of precious lands, which were on the fringes of the city in shape of villages but were speedily vanishing into its vastness because of ever-increasing demand by thousands of families who were shifting to Karachi every year from across the country. She said on record that around 1,500 goths (villages) had been merged into the city since 15 years. Land-grabbers subdivided them into plots and earned billions by their sale. “She documented everything about the lands that have been grabbed. Another sin of her was to help those whose lands had been grabbed. Yet, she never hesitated to go to the area where her life was constantly under threat,” Mr Pervez said.“Many people certainly have lost their elder sister,” he said. Noman Ahmed of NED University said Ms Rehman’s great achievement was to get involved and empower communities in development work. “She involved communities in development work and her cautious endeavour was to empower people and lessen their sense of deprivation. Her motto was way forward. She saw it as a defeat to terrorists by not changing her routine to help people,” Mr Ahmed said. Besides her mother, Ms Rehman is survived by her two brothers and a sister, living abroad. REFERENCE: Parveen Rehman: a fighter for the poor silenced http://dawn.com/2013/03/14/parveen-rehman-a-fighter-for-the-poor-silenced/

Parveen Rehman on Land, Politics and Violence in Karachi by Fahad Desmukh http://www.scribd.com/doc/130730202/Parveen-Rehman-on-Land-Politics-and-Violence-in-Karachi

Parveen Rehman on Land, Politics and Violence in Karachi by Aamir Mughal

2012: “They came with gunmen,” said Parveen Rehman, who heads a social development nongovernmental organization in Karachi. “Five or six went into the courtyard and they said that ‘today we will occupy this place no matter what.’” Rehman said the armed thugs wanted to take over the group’s compound. Luckily, she said, a person in her organization knew someone more powerful. So they turned to him for help. “He came and he said if you fire then we’ll fire many more rounds,” Rehman said. “So imagine, to save ourselves, we went to a bigger thug.” This is by no means an isolated incident. Many organizations and businesses face similar problems. And it’s especially hard to fix because the violence goes right to the top, to city officials and political parties. Karachi houses almost every different ethnic and political group in the country: Muhajirs, Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis… not to mention a range of Islamist groupings. All of the different groups have political organizations that claim to represent them. And most of those groups have their own militias. Parveen Rehman said that grabbing land brings lots of power. “There is continuous battle over various segments of land in Karachi between various groups of people who I would not say are given sanction by any one political party; but who as a strategy align themselves with political parties,” Rehman explained. “And police and of course all the government departments and the elected members are all partners in this. Because the money involved is so much, that overnight you can earn so much more.” It’s a strategic mix of politics, crime and business. Once a political party’s thugs steal land, it’s divided and illegally sold to others. And that creates an instant – beholden – constituency. This phenomenon of “land-grabbing” exploits the weakness of state institutions, as well as the ever-increasing demand for housing not met by the government. About half of Karachi’s estimated 17 million people live this way, dependent on one private group or another. REFERENCE : Urban Violence and Land Grabbing in Karachi JANUARY 18, 2012 BY Fahad Desmukh Fahad Desmukh is a journalist based in Karachi, Pakistan. He has previously worked as a news reporter for Express 24/7 and Geo TV in Pakistan. http://www.theworld.org/2012/01/urban-violence-and-land-grabbing-in-karachi/

Orangi Pilot Project: Environment and Urbanization by Arif Hasan http://www.scribd.com/doc/130386205/Orangi-Pilot-Project-Environment-and-Urbanization-by-Arif-Hasan

Orangi Pilot Project: Environment and Urbanization by Arif Hasan by Aamir Mughal

Death of a social activist By Ardeshir Cowasjee November 15th, 2009 THE desecration of Gutter Baghicha, a designated parkland for the people of Karachi, has been written about umpteen times over the past couple of years, but no effective action was taken by those concerned. On Nov 7, 2009, Nisar Baloch, the spearhead of the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tehreek and a member of Shehri, two NGOs which have been trying for the last two decades to save this lung of the city,was shot through the head by unidentified assailants as he was leaving his house. As recorded in a Nov 10 editorial in the national press, “After Baloch`s death, most of Old Golimar, Bada Board area and Pak Colony, predominantly Sindhi and Baloch lower class neighbourhoods, were shut down in protest. The police had to be called to control the public outrage against the murder of a concerned citizen, known for his long-standing campaign against the land-grabbing mafia and the indiscriminate conversion of parks, playgrounds, beach promenades, sewage treatment plants, government building plots and even plots in the sea into commercial projects by the authorities. “The City District Government Karachi is accused of having changed the status of at least 26 parks and playgrounds in middle, lower-middle and working-class neighbourhoods of the city. While a large tract of land by the sea has been turned into a sprawling recreation point, Bagh-i-Ibn-i-Qasim, in the heart of a posh locality, the right of the lesser mortals in the metropolis to public spaces and amenity plots is being flagrantly flouted. Several petitions are pending at various levels of the courts against illegal conversion, grabbing and disposal of land as well as amenity plots all over Karachi…. “Nisar Baloch understandably became a thorn in the side of the land-grabbing mafia, reportedly backed by influential ethnic and political parties of the city. Ironically, he had addressed a press conference only a day before he was murdered where he highlighted the issue in detail and pinpointed (perhaps fatally) the forces lending administrative and political support to the illegal occupation of the land of Gutter Baghicha. Importantly, Nisar Baloch had criticised both the MQM and PPP in equal measure, the former for complicity in coercion and the latter for its expedient tardiness. The Sindh chief minister had slapped a ban on the disposal and leasing of plots by the city government in July 2009. The ban was challenged by Nazim Mustafa Kamal but this public interest matter was settled out of court as if it was a compoundable dispute.” Nisar`s widow, 29-year old Madiha, has written to Chief Justice Iftihkar Chaudhry under the heading `Appeal for justice in the matter of Gutter Baghicha, Manghopir Road, Karachi (a) Punish the killers of my social-activist husband, Nisar Baloch (b) Save Gutter Baghicha Park from land-grabbers and criminals`. The text “My 45-year old husband, Nisar Baloch, resident of Old Golimar in Karachi, worked most of his life for the poor people of our area, and laboured especially hard over the past 16 years to preserve the remaining 480 acres of Gutter Baghicha Trans-Lyari Park. “Powerful political parties, corrupt officials and vested interests want to grab this amenity land, and, during the past six months, have occupied a part of the park and are building houses on it. My husband held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Nov6, 2009 to expose by name the criminals involved and to ask for your intervention in the matter (see press clippings attached….) “He was brutally shot dead the next morning at about 9.30 am near our house while driving his motorcycle, leaving me a widow with a two-year old daughter. Details of the murder in cold blood are given in the attached press clippings of Nov 8, 2009. “This brutal act has ruined our life; I and my daughter request your Honour to take lawful action against those responsible, order an impartial investigation of my husband`s murder, and help preserve his dream of a developed Gutter Baghicha Park accessible to all for recreation.” This targeted murder was undertaken the day after Nisar`s press conference. Who will be next on the list? Could it be a man of the Rangers? Or could it be a police official? Or a functionary of the City District Government`s Revenue Office whose sworn duty it is to protect government and amenity land? Karachi is a volatile tinderbox that could ignite at any time. It has slowly reached this stage over the past three decades because our politicians and government officials (not a single statesman among the lot) have progressively abdicated their statutory duty to render good governance and maintain the writ of law. The recent campaign to free the judiciary from the shackles that since 1947 have increasingly restrained it augurs well for the re-establishment of justice across the land. The citizens of Pakistan look to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who has himself been a victim of injustice, to come to the aid of the oppressed and exploited. Reference: Death of a social activist By Ardeshir Cowasjee November 15th, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/19346 Gutter Baghicha over the years by Shahid Hussain, Sunday, November 08, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=207306&Cat=4&dt=11/8/2009

Supreme Court Verdict on Karachi Killings http://www.scribd.com/doc/129263983/Supreme-Court-Verdict-on-Karachi-Killings

Supreme Court Verdict on Karachi Killings by Aamir Mughal

When it comes to Gutter Baghicha, land-grabbers have always been one step ahead in their attempts to bag the amenity plot to fill their coffers - It is a deplorable fact that in Pakistan, we constantly try to acquire any piece of land to build on or cultivate regardless of the fact that it may be be owned by another person, a community or that it might be an amenity plot. The greed is so great that we have to get hold of the land by any means possible. The small, green plot in Karachi termed ‘Gutter Baghicha’ gets its name from the sewerage treatment plant installed there during the pre-Partition era, in 1890. The entire area then covered 1,017 acres, and was a part of the Trans-Lyari Quarter meant to serve 100,000 people. The Karachi Handbook describes Gutter Baghicha as “an oasis in the desert and a paradise of insects, birds and naturalists.” Cereals, vegetables and fruits were cultivated here. Then, in 1947 onwards, an influx of refugees from India began to settle in kutchi abadis and began encroaching on Gutter Baghicha, such as Asif Colony, Zubair Colony, Hasrat Mohani Colony and Wilayatabad. These colonies were established on 25 per cent of the then Gutter Baghicha area. Haroonabad Industrial Area and marble-processing plants encroached upon another 15pc. In early 1993, an application was forwarded for the KMC Officers Cooperative Society on 200 acres of Gutter Baghicha land at throwaway prices. A couple of days later, the KMC Council, through Resolution No 82, approved the land use (without auction) for 99 years for residential purpose. This is in violation of Section 45 of SLGO 1979.

The Chief Secretary, Syed Sardar Ahmed, commented on it thus: “It would be unfair to convert the open park/farm into a housing society. It may be regretted.” But the summary never reached the chief minister (having been dexterously retrieved by the mafia), who surprisingly supported a resolution passed by the KMC committee. A couple of months later, the KMC advertised an auction of industrial plots in Gutter Baghicha at Rs1,000 per square yard. Then in mid-1993, without mentioning the unfavourable remarks of the Chief Secretary, a proposal to proceed with the KMCOHS was pushed to the chief minister, amounting to “cheating and concealing of facts.” The latter again supported the KMC resolution. A few days later, the Government of Sindh approved the housing scheme, undersigned as 45(5)(I) of SLGO1979 to KMC Council Resolution No 82 of 11-3-1993. A month later, a lease deed for 200 acres executed without receiving full payment and Rs11 million still outstanding. Then, there appeared an advertisement in the papers to go ahead with this housing scheme with a three-day deadline. Curious, I ventured to Lyari and talked to some of the locals. I was shown Gutter Baghicha and I decided to file a Human Rights case 6-K/93 under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, under the conversion of Gutter Baghicha amenity land into an industrial one. We obtained a stay order from the Sindh High Court. In September 1993, the Sindh EPA recommended to the Supreme Court that a public farm be established on this park. The Sindh High Court restrained KMC or any other transferees from transferring or selling any part of Gutter Baghicha. The Government of Sindh was also restrained from granting approval to the KMC resolution. It was a thoughtful summary from Justice Agha Sabihuddin that said the Supreme Court judgment should be awaited. In spite of the SHC stay order on this park, between 1994 and 1997 sub-leases of 415 plots were issued by the KMC for officers’ housing. Members of this fraudulent scheme tried to obtain bank loans against this allotment as well. Finally, what was done in the case of Gutter Baghicha. Were illegal industries removed and their owners charged? Was the KMC committee severely reprimanded and disbanded for its acts? Were those responsible or involved in this act, as well as the concerned KMC officers, hauled up by the police or fined? No. It shows a huge deficiency in our judicial back-up system. Opposite the Ferozabad Police Station in PECHS, the land mafia targeted an eight-acre plot named Sultanagar lying vacant in 1981, wanting to build a housing scheme here. 

The same was reserved for a ladies park. Humaira Rehman and I organized a signature campaign and gave this to the then Martial Law Administrator, Gen Abbasi, who then ordered against its sale and development. In the mid-90s, a 2,200 square yards plot on Hill Park in PECHS was illegally given out by Z.A. Nizami, DG, KDA, to a builder. Yousuf Jameel and I fought the legal case and we lost as Mr Nizami, as the DG, KDA, had a right to “allot plots”. The Kidney Park is another example. The open, park or green areas between New York, Singapore with and Karachi with populations of 14.6, 4 and 11 million is 12, 10 and less than 1pc, respectively. In addition, Karachi has the highest density of population — 6,300 persons per square kilometre. The population of Karachi will eventually reach 40 million and Pakistan at 473 million. Pakistan will emerge as the third-largest country in the world. Aside from these population projections, there are two reasons for a population influx in cities. One is rural migration and the other, national population growth. In Istanbul, there is an autonomous urban organization that is free from political pressures. Turkey’s current Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul, was a one-time mayor and handled city issues. When low-cost housing takes place, then this organization is provided money to do it. There is no such thing as free plots. The Turkish population is also almost static at 67 million. Aside from this, another very important aspect to be noted is the diminishing river-water flow that results in lesser snowfall in the mountains. The solution is not to build another huge Kalabagh Dam and thereby cause Sindh another huge economic and environmental loss. All of us have already read about the millions of acres of wasteland due to sea-water intrusion in the coastal areas of Sindh. There is Brackish water in Badin at a depth of one-and-a-half foot below ground. Water holds its level irrespective of the fact that it is arable or seawater. When we build dams, we hold back fresh water, that results in intrusion of seawater. This is what is happening in Sindh. If we think in terms of economic loss, it amounts to billions of rupees. Aside from dams, we have to think constructively and learn from other situations such as the one in the Middle East where there is a shortage of water, but agriculture thrives. We have to line up our canals, thereby saving water for agriculture and the adjoining land from waterlogging. Pakistan spends 2.3pc on education, the lowest in South Asia, as opposed to Sri Lanka’s 11.7pc, in spite of its civil war. This has been continuing for the last 85 years. Pakistan needs money for education and it is there for the taking, but we must address this situation seriously. Alcohol, and horse racing are just two of the many areas of extravagance that remain untaxed. Think of all the new jobs being created if we include all this as part of the white economy. By these means, our education budget can multiply three or four times. Unfortunately, due to our warped and negative thinking, we have lost billions of dollars over the last 25 years. Finally, we spend around $230 million on education. If we take a fully-loaded F16 warplane each costing $80 million, only three of these would match the amount we spend on education in a given year. REFERENCE: Who will defy the land mafia? By Navaid Hussain February 2, 2003 http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/030202/dmag20.htm ‘Gutter Baghicha will be saved from encroachment’ * Shehri launches signature campaign http://jamilkhan.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/save-gutter-baghicha-campaign/ By Jamil Khan Published @ Daily Times on Oct 25, 2008

Profile of Orangi Pilot Project http://www.scribd.com/doc/130385491/Profile-of-Orangi-Pilot-Project

Profile of Orangi Pilot Project by Aamir Mughal

2009 : `I Own Karachi` and can sell it! By Ardeshir Cowasjee February 22nd, 2009 KARACHI, this increasingly ravaged city, has a dire history of the conversion of amenity plots to commercial and residential use. Virtually every `ruler` or administrator has left his mark on the exploding metropolis by giving away what was not his to give — public spaces and civic-use plots that were planned by experts for the common good. At the Corporate Summit on Climate Change held in Karachi last Thursday, the city nazim Mustafa Kamal told a gathering of some 200 businessmen, industrialists, environmentalists, academics and NGOs that he had learnt that day for the first time of the importance of the environment. He admitted to being unfamiliar with the Environment Protection Act 1997 and with the effects of climate change. He welcomed an offer from Leadership for Environment & Development Pakistan to assist him in evaluating his development strategy and his proposed solutions to the city`s problems, including mass transportation, treatment of 400 million gallons per day of raw sewage presently being dumped into the sea, and the management of 10,000 tons of garbage generated daily. Coincidentally, whilst the nazim was speaking at the DHA Golf Club, members of the MQM were passing a City Council resolution at the KMC Hall, barely eight miles away, converting over 40 acres of amenity space at Sewage Treatment Plant-2 in Mehmoodabad (located at N24o51`6`, E67o04`27` on Google-Earth) into a housing colony. This was done despite the protests of opposition members who foresaw `horrible devastation` if land assigned for a treatment plant expansion was swallowed up. They explained that many previous attempts to misuse and convert amenity spaces had been struck down by the courts. In July 2008, a similar illegal conversion (`commercialisation`) of a 2.5-acre space on the Clifton beach was attempted by the City Council treasury benches (over the objections of the opposition members) for use as a five-star hotel-cum-shopping complex. Earlier this month, a blitz of ads in the press announced the auction of the beach plot for a reserved price of Rs119 crores. References: `I Own Karachi` and can sell it! By Ardeshir Cowasjee February 22nd, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152064 2 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152173 3 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152174 4 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152097