MQM to stage protest against PEMRA’s ‘ban’ on Altaf’s live speeches

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has announced to stage a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club on Friday against the ban imposed by PEMRA on the live speeches of Altaf Hussain.
Dr Farooq Sattar announcing this at a press conference held at the Khursheed Begum Memorial Hall on Thursday said the Muttahida was moving to court on an unannounced ban on the recorded interviews of MQM chief.
“We will challenge this in the court as PEMRA’s notification did not mention the name of Altaf Hussain nor did it have enforced ban on Altaf Hussain’s speeches,” he said.While condemning this act of PEMRA and the government over the ban of Altaf Hussain’s speeches, he termed it a clear violation of Constitution.
The MQM expressed its strong reservations over the prime minister’s visit to the city but he did not contact any of the party leaders and did not even utter a word for MQM MNA Rashid Godil, who was attacked and in critical condition.
Dr Sattar said that his party was highly disappointed by the PM’s behavior of not contacting the MQM, although a day before a government’s emissary came to 90 to persuade Muttahida’s legislators to come back to parliament and play their roles.
At this juncture, if Nawaz Sharif wanted that the MQM should review its decision of taking back the resignations, he would have adopted a soft stance and would have talked to the party leaders and would not leave Karachi without giving a satisfactory statement on our issues, he said.
The political and democratic system could be strengthened if rule of law prevails in the country and if the state violates the Constitution and rule, then how can one expect justice from them, he said.
Under Article 10 of the Constitution, he said it was compulsory to cite the reasons for arrest of anyone repeating his party’s claim that workers are being detained illegally under the garb of Karachi operation.
Expressing grave concern over not airing Altaf Hussain’s interviews and unofficial ban on the speeches of the MQM supremo Altaf Hussain, he announced that MQM will hold a protest demo outside the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
The ban on live speeches of Altaf Hussain on TV was aimed to enforce the ‘minus Altaf formula’ he said, and added “Today they are not airing Altaf’s speech. Tomorrow it will be someone else. Muttahida is a registered political party and is taking part in the elections since 1987,” he said,
Sattar continued that the party was bagging 80 to 85% mandate from urban Sindh.While the press conference was going on, the Rangers personnel arrived at the MQM headquarters and started patrolling the streets surrounding the area. The Rangers in two mobiles started patrolling the streets on foot and they also patrolled the Jinnah Ground and Lal Qila Ground.The MQM senior leader however said that it was a tactics to harass party workers and activists as the Rangers simply patrolled the area and then left without taking any action.