Of Martial Law & Military Courts in Karachi and Punjab.

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain demanded Tuesday that the administration of Karachi should be handed over to army personnel, DawnNews reported. In a statement issued from London, Hussain said the situation of Karachi was worsening day by day and prime minister Nawaz Sharif should hand over responsibilities of the city to army personnel. Hussain said the Sindh government, which was led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had failed to provide protection to residents of Karach’s Lyari neighbourhood despite the fact that the area was steeped in violence and gang-wars and several people had died due to terrorist attacks. Earlier this month, Pakistan's president-elect Mamnoon Hussain indicated in a TV program that the army’s assistance could be sought for restoration of peace in Karachi. Mamnoon moreover said if MQM was a patriotic party, it would not have objections to seeking army persons for provision of security in Sindh’s metropolis. The president was of the view that extreme measures would have to be adopted in order for peace to prevail in Karachi. Karachi is home to multiple conflicts that frequently turn violent, including gang wars, ethnic and political rivalries. Militants are said to use the city as a hiding place and a source of funds obtained through bank heists, extortion and kidnapping for ransom. Moreover, political parties have increasingly started using the city as a battleground for their conflicting interests. REFERENCE: MQM chief demands handing over Karachi to army 2013-08-27 11:38:40 http://dawn.com/news/1038700/mqm-chief-demands-handing-over-karachi-to-army

Nawaz Sharif on Military Courts in Karachi & MQM

 

Nawaz Sharif on Military Courts in Karachi & MQM by SalimJanMazari

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday declared his party would again establish military courts in Sindh if voted to power in the next general election. Mr Sharif was speaking at the party’s Sindh Council meeting in a hotel. “If our government comes to power, it will ensure provision of electricity to each and every village and will set up military courts to eliminate dacoit rule in the province,” he said. It was during the second tenure of the PML government (1997 to 1999) that military courts were set up in Sindh for cases related to terrorism, violence and dacoity. Apart from uncontrolled robberies in the interior of Sindh, Karachi went through unprecedented violence during the period. A military operation had also been carried out in the city to bring the situation under control. The Supreme Court ordered abolition of the military courts after one of them awarded capital punishment to an accused in a murder case. REFERENCE: Nawaz says he will again set up military courts in Sindh BY HABIB KHAN GHORI 2012-01-03 02:25:52 http://beta.dawn.com/news/685206/musharrafs-team-being-fostered-in-new-cantonment-nawaz

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 1 (ARY)

 

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 1 (ARY) by SalimJanMazari

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 2 (ARY)

 

Altaf Hussain Q&A Interview with PJ Mir - 2 (ARY) by SalimJanMazari

Altaf calls for martial law in Punjab: KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain said on Monday that martial law should be imposed in Punjab since crimes against women and kidnappings for ransom were rife in the province. He appealed to the people and students of Punjab to support his party`s demand. “Those who impose martial law every now and then, why are they not coming forward to end the curse of extortion, killings and other crimes,” he wondered. Speaking from London to the reinstated employees of KESC at Nine Zero, the MQM headquarters, Mr Hussain said a “revolution is unavoidable” and expressed the hope that generals and judges would not support feudal lords and capitalists, but the vast majority. He appealed to the military and the judiciary to support people if they tried to usher in a change reminiscent of the French revolution. The MQM chief said if necessary, he would return to the country to make it truly independent and self-reliant and provide better living condition to people. “If the military or the judiciary tries to obstruct my way, I will not bow before them and stand by the people.” He urged the nation to support the MQM against criminals, saying that people were fed up with kidnappings for ransom, extortion and other crimes. “If the armed forces do not act now, they would also be put in the dock in case of a revolution by people,” Mr Hussain said. He accused the Punjab government of having failed to curb criminal and terrorist activities and improve the law and order situation. The MQM chief urged the president and the prime minister to eliminate terrorists and militants from the country with the help of the army and law-enforcement agencies. He said the MQM did not believe in ethnicity and stood for the rights of all oppressed people. He warned against privatising national assets for the benefit of a few. He said the armed forces were the most powerful institution and the judiciary was independent, yet the political leadership was confined to a few powerful families. “These families take loans and get them written off and build their empire in foreign lands. “On the other hand, the country is being forced to beg from the IMF and the World Bank and compromise its honour and independence.” Mr Hussain congratulated the KESC employees and said he had always stressed that workers should be reinstated because their well-being was vital to security, progress and salvation of the country. He urged the KESC management to also reinstate 216 employees from the interior of Sindh. REFERENCE: Altaf calls for martial law in Punjab 2011-01-24 21:31:10 http://beta.dawn.com/news/601294/altaf-calls-for-martial-law-in-punjab-2

MQM and its self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain have invited the wrath of most political parties for demanding Karachi be handed over to the army to deal with the deteriorating law and order situation of the city. Ostensibly, the demand, which was voiced by Dr Farooq Sattar in the National Assembly, has been triggered by continuing target killings and clashes between, it is assumed, the returning Kachhi community IDPs who have recently returned to their homes in Lyari and elements of the now banned People’s Amn (Peace) Committee. Although Dr Sattar based his demand on the provisions of Article 245 of the constitution, which envisages calling the army in aid of civil power (by the government of the day), his startling statement has evoked bitter resentment and criticism by the PPP and PML-N, muted criticism and the question being raised of how the situation has come to this pass by the PTI, condemnation by the Jamaat-i-Islami and most sensible people in the entire country. Surprisingly, the ANP, which was approached by the MQM to persuade the ruling party in Sindh, the PPP, supported the demand, at least if its Sindh leadership’s response is to be taken as the party’s policy. Interestingly, the MQM wants an ‘indiscriminate’ operation against criminal and other elements disturbing the peace of the city. Interesting because the MQM stands charged with being the originator of what has now become commonplace in Karachi: political parties all have armed wings, some of those parties (including the MQM) are accused of being behind extortion activities, criminal gangs have for some time been emulating extortion, leading to turf wars, and the general disturbed conditions in the city have encouraged mugging and kidnapping on an unprecedented scale. Dead bodies strew the streets of Karachi on a daily basis and hardly a day goes by without the news of fresh bloodshed. While it may be conceded for the sake of argument that it is these conditions that have resurrected the time-worn formula of relying on the army as the ultimate solution for all problems, wisdom gleaned from the track record and history would seem to suggest that this is nothing if not illusion. It is doubly surprising that a party (MQM) that never tires of reminding us of its ‘victimisation’ during the 1992 army operation in Karachi (Altaf Hussain having fled into exile in anticipation six months earlier) should now contemplate going back to inviting the army in for an ‘indiscriminate’ operation (that could, if allowed, envelope the MQM in its fold too). The ‘desperation’ inherent in the MQM’s call deserves thought. It is ironic that the MQM should only have woken up to the horrible conditions in Karachi after it is no longer in the government. For the past five years, it was a coalition partner of the PPP in the Sindh government. Did that period see an improvement or deterioration in the law and order situation in the city? First and foremost, the MQM should carry out some self-accountability and explain to the suffering people of Karachi what, if anything, it did to improve law and order while in power. The fact of the matter is that the previous government’s tenure saw Karachi slide further and further into chaos, with the police and Rangers unable to make a dent (despite their spirited defence now by Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon). The police and Rangers, whatever their limitations and weaknesses (and they are legion), are also hampered by the fact that political patronage of criminal law breakers sees arrested miscreants released through political intervention from on high. As if this was not bad enough, the myriad law breakers arrested by the law enforcers usually get bail or even acquittal from the courts because of the flawed prosecution and judicial system. Unless law enforcement is freed of political interference and the judicial system is vamped up to be able to put law breakers away irrespective of their clout, etc, there can be little hope of improvement. In the absence of the political parties refraining from going down the path of armed wings and turf wars and the law enforcement system seemingly ineffective, demands such as the MQM’s may arise from time to time (the ‘strong hand is needed’ syndrome). Those making such demands have obviously forgotten how army intervention on a limited scale has often led to wider, unforeseen outcomes that the country hardly wants or needs to revisit. Democracy may have its flaws, and ours is still embryonic, but military interventions, invited or uninvited, are surely things we can do without. * REFERENCE: EDITORIAL : Altaf Hussain’s incredible demand Thursday, August 29, 2013 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C08%5C29%5Cstory_29-8-2013_pg3_1

Former DGIB Colonel (R) Iqbal Niazi with Mubashir Lucman (Express News)

 

Former DGIB Colonel (R) Iqbal Niazi with... by SalimJanMazari

Hakim Said's case being sent to military court today: PM KARACHI, Jan 1: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif disclosed on Friday that the cases relating to the murder of Hakim Mohammad Said and Maulana Salahuddin would be referred to the military courts for trial tomorrow. Several other high-profile murder cases like those of former MNA Zohair Akram Nadeem, KESC chief Malik Shahid Hamid, education board chairman Ismail Memon, Col Bilal, and two sons of a former SP Azizur Rehman, would also be sent to these courts within the next 24 to 48 hours, he said. Mr Sharif made this statement to newsmen after presiding over a high-level meeting on law and order at the Governor's House here on Friday. Governor Moinuddin Haider, Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Labour and Manpower Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, prime minister's principal secretary Saeed Mehdi, Sindh chief secretary Salik Nazir Ahmad, federal and provincial home secretaries, IG Sindh, the DIG Karachi, the DG rangers, and the chief of the citizen-police liaison committee (CPLC), Jameel Yousuf, also attended the meeting. Official sources said during the meeting the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the performance of military courts and it was decided that the number of these courts would be increased. The meeting was informed that of the 49 cases sent to the military courts 12 were being proceeded on, while judgment had been delivered in four cases. Sources said the provincial administration had been directed to complete the investigations into the murder of Iranian cadets and the Americans on priority basis. The meeting also decided to review all the appointments made in the provincial government in violation of the prescribed procedure and re-evaluate the qualification of such officials. Talking to the newsmen Mr Sharif said military courts were performing satisfactorily and the criminals were being given the punishments they deserved. The prime minister also expressed satisfaction over the law and order situation in Karachi which, he said, had improved. "Government's steps to improve the situation were bearing positive results and the performance of police and administration showed mark improvement under the guidance of the governor." He said the government had succeeded in apprehending notorious criminals and the military courts were trying them. He assured that the government was sincerely working for restoration of peace in Karachi. "The people of Karachi have taken a sigh of relief because the city's economic activities have increased along with the investment reducing the unemployment levels," said the premier. To a question he said the law and order and the national economy were his government's top priorities for the year 1999. PPI/NNI REFERENCE: Hakim Said's case being sent to military court today: PM DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 02 January 1999 Issue : 05/01 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1999/02Jan99.html#haki

Nawaz Sharif on MQM and MQM on Nawaz Sharif

 

Nawaz Sharif on MQM and MQM on Nawaz Sharif by SalimJanMazari

Altaf flays Nawaz for singling out Karachi LONDON, Feb 22: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for singling out Karachi while referring to acts of terrorism in the country during his recent address to the nation. He said the PM had deliberately ignored Punjab where more people had died in religious terrorism as compared to Karachi. In an 18-page statement issued in London, Mr Hussain deplored that Mr Sharif had used Quranic references to justify the illegal, unconstitutional and un-Islamic killings either in police custody or through military courts. He said Islamic injunctions clearly stated that the relatives of a person killed could either take revenge or accept blood-money or forgive them - an indirect reference that the relatives of those killed in police custody or through summary trials could demand the lives of the killers. "In Islam, everyone is equal before God, whether he is a ruler or an ordinary person, and Qisas and Diyat can be claimed from the ruler as well." Mr Hussain claimed that five MQM workers had been killed extra-judicially after the imposition of governor's rule in Sindh. Israr Ahmad, he said, was killed by government officials after his arrest whereas Fasih Ahmad Jugnu, Muhammad Anwar, Mubashir Ali and Arman were arrested and tortured to death. "Thus the government is directly responsible for the killing of these five innocent people who were killed even before being produced before a court of law," he said. "Under the Islamic law, their relatives could claim Qisas and Diyat from the president and the prime minister." The MQM chief said similarly, the relatives of around 300 workers killed during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif in police custody or by torture or fake police-encounters could also claim Diyat and Qisas from those who tortured and killed them or from those who ordered the killings. "In Islam it's eye for an eye, ear for an ear and nose for a nose and a tooth for a tooth," he said quoting a verse from the Holy Quran. The MQM chief said by misquoting the Quranic verses, the prime minister tried to justify the killings of the Mohajirs which were being carried out by state agencies and through the government-paid touts. He said the prime minister tried to convey a message to the people that whatever he was doing was right and in accordance with the teachings of Islam. The PM, he added, ignored other Quranic verses in which the God had directed the rulers to treat their subjects equally and with justice. He said Mr Sharif did not refer to those verses because that would have exposed him and his so-called love for Islam." The MQM chief said successive rulers in Pakistan had misused the name of Islam for their own political objectives and Sharif was no different from his predecessors. He said that Nawaz Sharif had long been dreaming of crushing the Mohajirs and recalled that in 1992 he had launched an army operation in Karachi to crush the MQM and its people. However, he said, he could not fulfil his ambitions at that time as his government was dismissed on charges of corruption and incompetence. Hussain said that the army operation in 1992 was launched on the pretext of arresting 72 "big fishes" from Sindh. "The list of 72 big fishes was also produced in the National Assembly. Can the prime minister tell the nation how many big fishes were arrested during that army operation?" He said when the operation was launched Nawaz Sharif had claimed that it would be an evenhanded operation and it was not aimed against any particular community or group. "Every child in Pakistan now knows why the operation was launched and who was the target and that not a single big fish was arrested during that operation." The MQM chief also held the PM responsible for the deterioration in the law and order situation in Karachi. He maintained that before the 1992 operation, there was complete peace and harmony. "If there is any one to blame for the present situation in Karachi, it is Nawaz Sharif himself, who ordered the killings of thousands of MQM people and created a private army to kill MQM workers," he said. Referring to the mention of terrorism in Karachi by Nawaz Sharif, the MQM chief pointed out that the prime minister conveniently ignored the growing incidents of terrorism in the Punjab, which was being ruled by his younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif. He said that the crime figures presented by Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the National Assembly made it very clear that the largest number of people were killed in acts of terrorism in Punjab. REFERENCE: Altaf flays Nawaz for singling out Karachi DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 27 February 1999 Issue : 05/09 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1999/27Feb99.html#alta

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

 

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

MQM urges COAS to take notice of govt 'conspiracies'  ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has appealed to the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf, to take notice of "conspiracies being hatched to undermine and taint the impartial and uncontroversial image of the army." The MQM's parliamentary leader in the Senate, Aftab Shaikh, alleged at a press conference that the government was making a "deliberate attempt to divide and dilute" the army on the dictates of the IMF and World Bank by deploying it in the PIA, WAPDA and other institutions. Shaikh Aftab said his party had tried to establish contacts with the army high command but there had been no response so far. REFERENCE: MQM urges COAS to take notice of govt 'conspiracies' DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 30 January 1999 Issue : 05/05 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1999/30Jan99.html#mqmu

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

 

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

Muttahida holding talks with PPP for alliance  RAWALPINDI, Dec 14: Muttahida Qaumi Movement was continuing dialogue with the Pakistan People's Party to form an alliance with it at all levels with an agenda envisaged on restoration of Sindh Assembly, withdrawal of governor's rule and military courts, Kalabagh Dam and restoration of peace in Karachi, the leaders of MQM, Senator Aftab Sheikh, Nasreen Jalil and Farooq Sattar, said in a "Meet the Press" programme held at the Rawalpindi Press Club on Monday. They said the MQM had no option but to form an alliance with one of the main political parties of the country, the ruling PML or the PPP, for remaining in political scenario of Sindh and the country. It is why the MQM has continued dialogue with the PPP for making alliance at national assembly, senate and provincial level. Responding to a question, the MQM legislators said that government and agencies were involved in killing innocent people in Karachi while the workers of Muttahida were being implicated in fake cases. Sen Sheikh said that over 25,000 different cases had been registered against the workers of MQM within last four years while all of them have proved to be fake and baseless. He said the senators of MQM were being threatened of dire consequences by the ruling party and their supporters if they did not cast vote in favour of Shariat Bill in the upper house. He said the establishment of military courts in Karachi and CA-15 (Shariat Bill) was a bid of prime minister Nawaz Sharif to impose one-party rule in the country. "We have never talked about the division of the country because Pakistan was founded by the efforts and sacrifices of our forefathers who left their property, relatives and migrated to Pakistan," he added. He said that armed forces of the country were respectable to the MQM but the government wanted to make a rift between the armed forces and the Muttahida by setting up military courts in Karachi. Speaking on the occasion, MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar termed the imposition of governor's rule as a planned conspiracy of the government to take total control of the politics of Sindh. Replying to a question, he said law and order situation in Punjab was not different from that of Sindh as according to a report of ministry of interior, 1,071 people had been killed in Punjab from January 1, 1998 till now while in the same span of time 861 people were murdered in Sindh. He said that since their alliance with the government which was formed in Feb 21, 1997, over 300 workers of MQM had been killed in Karachi. He said that all offices of MQM had been sealed by the government throughout the country and majority of their workers had gone underground due to excesses and brutalities of police. "Each and every workers of MQM has been implicated at least in a single case," he added. He said the arms being shown on TV were not recovered from the possession of MQM workers, but brought from government's arms depots. workers held: Haq Parast Senators have condemned the arrest of Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers, sympathizers and their relatives. They said the police and rangers raided homes and arrested many workers while at places where the raiding parties failed to arrest the wanted men, they ransacked the homes and used indecent language against ladies and other family members. REFERENCE: Muttahida holding talks with PPP for alliance DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 19 December 1998 Issue : 04/50 https://dl-web.dropbox.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1998/19Dec98.html#mutt

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