MQM must get rid of Altaf, armed wing: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday asked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to disassociate itself from Altaf Hussain and its armed wing and demanded that the government should give the British authorities access to the two witnesses in Dr. Imran Farooq murder case.
Speaking to media persons here, he said: “It’s time for the MQM and for the people to get rid of Altaf and its armed wing to bring peace back to Karachi for which the police will also have to be impartial.”
He further demanded that the government should refer the Baldia Town fire case to a military court and urged the prime minister to act in the light of the JIT report, indirectly blaming the MQM for violence in Karachi.
He asked the prime minister to take action, as all parties had given him the mandate and it was time to act to crush terrorism without discrimination. He claimed that the mastermind of Baldia tragedy was the one who had grabbed extortion money from the people.
In his unusually hard-hitting tirade against the MQM and its leader Altaf Hussain, Imran announced not to attend any forum where the MQM would also be invited.He said they would approach the British Embassy on Altaf’s use of indecent words against the PTI female activists during his speech and also write to the British government, as one of his party leaders Zahra Shahid was murdered after Altaf’s speech to his workers that incited them to violence.
He claimed to know who had murdered Zahra and Wali Babar of Geo TV but they were never arrested, as the MQM always joined the government to avoid the issues.Imran wondered where Pemra was when Altaf delivered a long derogatory speech, alleging that the MQM leader had also threatened the trading community of Karachi.
He alleged that Altaf had destroyed Karachi, as poor people were burnt to death for non-payment of extortion money to his party.The PTI chief charged that people were fooled when the MQM announced several times that its Rabita Committee did not allow their self-exiled leader to return to Pakistan. He said a son of slain Azeem Tariq had once told him that his father was killed by those who had carried his coffin later in the evening.
Imran called Altaf a coward, who was staying away from Pakistan for over two decades now. “I wonder how the educated people of Karachi tolerate a man like Altaf. Not everyone in MQM is a killer,” he remarked.
The PTI leader said the MQM had an armed wing, adding that there were terrorist groups protected by political parties. He said the traders and journalists were receiving threats from the MQM.
The PTI chairman recalled they had extended all-out support to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the Peshawar school massacre but it was unfortunate that Mian Sahib always forgot that it was his fundamental responsibility to protect the life and property of the people.
“In the APC despite having reservations about the rigging in elections, we gave the authority to the prime minister to take action against terrorism, as people are fed up with the menace,” he maintained and announced not to attend any all parties conference in future.Imran contended that it was also decided in the APC that no armed group would be allowed to operate in Pakistan anymore.