SHC sets Nov 16 to hear plea for banning both MQM factions

The Sindh High Court fixed November 16 to hear the application seeking ban on Muttahida Quami Movement (Pakistan and London) alleging that members of both parties are involved in serious crimes with respect to sovereignty, integrity and security of Pakistan.

Petitioner Moulvi Iqbal Haider submitted that his petition seeking ban on the parties and disqualification of its legislators over an anti-state speech delivered by the party’s founder, Altaf Hussain, at a hunger strike camp on August 22, last year, be heard on an urgent basis.

He maintained that MQM members should be prohibited from using the party’s name in politics or publication in any manner as it should be banned forthwith.

Haider had earlier submitted in his petition that MQM MNAs and MPAs heard the anti-state speech, adding, that MQM legislators had neither agitated nor raised any slogans against the party’s founder, but disassociated themselves from the speech for the sake of saving their own skin.

The petitioner maintained that the Federation of Pakistan was duty bound to issue a notification to ban the MQM in terms of articles 5, 5 and 17(2) of the constitution as its legislators got votes on the party’s symbol (kite) and in the name of Hussain, who nominated them to contest Senate and national and provincial assembly elections.

He said that after the vitriolic speech, all MQM parliamentarians had no right to stay in office and are required to be prosecuted in terms of 11-F of the Anti- Terrorism Act read with Article 6 of the constitution. 

Criticising the federal and provincial governments’ lack of action over the matter, the petitioner stated that the law did not permit them to remain silent.

Citing Supreme Court’s judgement in the Abdul Wali Khan case, the petitioner submitted that it was a required as per law that MQM and its elected members of parliament are disqualified and their seats declared vacant by the election commission after taking necessary action.