IHC hears petition for banning MQM today

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will today (Wednesday) hear a petition seeking a court direction to the federal government to ban the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for its alleged anti-Pakistan activities.
Justice Athar Minallah will hear the petition.
Petitioner, Mazhar Iqbal, through his counsel Barrister Masroor Shah made the MQM through its Deputy Convener Farooq Sattar and chief Altaf Hussain, the federation of Pakistan through secretary Cabinet Division and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as respondents.
The petitioner said Altaf Hussain was a former Pakistani citizen, who had been living in the United Kingdom since 1993 and been naturalized there as a British national. The petitioner said if the federal government found that a political party had been formed or was operating in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, it could refer the matter to the Supreme Court within 15 days of issuing a declaration and the court decision on such reference shall be final.
Under section 15 (1) of the Political Parties Order, 2002 if the federal government is satisfied that a political party is a foreign-funded or has been formed or is operating in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan or is indulging in terrorism, it shall make such declaration by a notification in the official gazette.
Clause 2 of the same provision further stipulates that within 15 days of making a declaration, the federal government shall refer the matter to the Supreme Court whose decision on such reference shall be final.
Clause 3 of the said provision finally ordains that where the Supreme Court upheld the declaration made against a political party, such party shall stand dissolved forthwith.
The petitioner said the country’s premier law enforcement agencies were fighting terrorism in Karachi whereas the MQM chief Altaf Hussain was spitting venom at the federation and the valiant paramilitary and armed forces.
The petitioner said in a telephonic address to the MQM USA workers from London, Altaf had directed the party workers to request the Nato and United Nations to send their forces to Karachi to stop what he claimed the extra-judicial killings of Mohajirs in Karachi.
In the same speech, Altaf Hussain further stated that India was a coward country otherwise she would not have let the massacre of Mohajirs in Pakistan.
The petitioner said Altaf had been ridiculing the state of Pakistan, its law enforcement agencies and the armed forces in an explicit manner.
Further, he said it was confirmed by the same speech that MQM was a foreign-aided political party formed and operating in a manner prejudicial to the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan and was grossly indulged in terrorism.
The petitioner prayed to the court to direct the federal government to immediately declare the MQM as a foreign-funded political party operating against Pakistan.
After this declaration, the federal government may forward the matter to the Supreme Court for banning the party.