Nawaz pushed MQM to the wall, says Musharraf

LONDON: Pervez Musharraf has alleged that Pakistan Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif can be blamed for today’s gory situation in Karachi, for he had ignored the military’s advice and tried to corner the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Altaf faction).
Speaking at the launch of his party’s London chapter here Saturday, Musharraf, a globe-trotter who is avoiding to enter Pakistan as he faces opposition from the government as well as political and religious parties, said he had advised Nawaz Sharif against his policy of cornering the Altaf-led MQM, but Nawaz Sharif didn’t pay heed to his words of caution and pushed the party against the wall and thought that the original MQM’s breakaway faction, known as MQM-Haqiqi, would prevail.
I had advised against the policy of encouraging gang warfare in Karachi, but my advice was not acted upon, said Musharraf.
Musharraf said that ill-conceived policy bred a lot of resentment and today’s situation in Karachi can be seen in that context.
Answering questions by The News, he lashed out Sharif brothers and called them closet supporters of extremism and sectarian groups and said both cannot be differentiated as none of them were taking any stand against extremism and hard-line forces.
Musharraf challenged Sharif brothers to make their stand clear on extremism and come clean on it and alleged that they retained links with dubious people and groups in Jhang. He said he knew from the beginning that Nawaz Sharif and his party were just scoring political points when they put the government on ultimatum.
“They (PML-N) have stakes in this system, and they will never destabilise this setup because it suits them. They bluff, huff and puff when they issue ultimatums and statements, it doesn’t mean anything, other than political grandstanding,” he said in reference to PML-N policies at the national level.
Musharraf said Salman Taseer’s murder showed Pakistani society is polarized, and hysteria ruled the national discourse. He said blasphemy law is a necessity, and it should be seen in the rationale perspective, but there was an urgent need to stop its misuse and the element within the law that allowed the miscarriage of justice must be revisited and amended. He said he had amended the Hudood laws and made some changes in the blasphemy law itself to tighten it up but conceded that more needs to be done.
He called for a strict punishment for Mumtaz Qadri, Salman Taseer’s killer, who fired 27 bullets in the governor’s neck and was garlanded by right-wingers.
“Punishment is the sole responsibility of the State. Mumtaz Qadri should be punished because he challenged the writ of the government,” Musharraf demanded.
Musharraf said he was continuing with his lecture to parties and think tanks in Europe and elsewhere and was happy that Diaspora Pakistanis were flocking to his party.
Mushararf denied ever telling Hamid Mir, famous Geo political show host, that he would like to kill Altaf Hussain if ever he found the exiled MQM leader.
“Hamid Mir has never said any good thing about me. I cannot trust him. I have met Altaf Hussain many times, and we have been on fine terms.”