Pak SC moved to ban MQM
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has been moved seeking ban on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement ( MQM) as the party split further and completely disassociated it with London- based Altaf Hussain.
MQM’s leader Mustafa Kamal had earlier this year formed Pak Sarzameen Party from within the parent party. And some years back, a splinter group MQM ( Haqiqi) had split from the main party. The Haqiqi faction could not however, muster any public support.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, seeking ban on the MQM after Altaf Hussain’s anti- Pakistan speech from London.
The petition was filed by Watan Party, appealing the court to cancel registration of MQM as a political party for its activities against the state. The petitioner said MQM was working against the integrity of the country, and its workers were involved in recent attacks on the media, therefore its registration should be cancelled and activities banned.
The petitioner also appealed the court to try Altaf Hussain for treason over his recent speech in which the MQM chief raised slogans against Pakistan. “The MQM chief should be arrested through Interpol,” said he petitioner. Earlier, MQM leader Farooq Sattar called an end to what he called “an undeclared ban on his party”.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Farooq Sattar said that MQM took an unprecedented step of the party’s history following August 22 events when Altaf Hussain chanted antiPakistan slogans.
“We felt our responsibility without any consultation and came to conclusion that time had come to draw a line,” he said.