AJK LA passes 9 resolutions against Altaf Hussain

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved all nine resolutions moved by as many legislators from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muslim Conference (MC) to censure the diatribe of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain against the army and other national institutions.

The MQM lawmakers – two in the currently 48-member house - however boycotted the proceedings after party’s parliamentary leader Mohammad Tahir Khokhar was not given the floor by Speaker Sardar Ghulam Sadiq.

The first resolution against Mr Hussain was read by Raja Farooq Haider, leader of the opposition and president of the AJK chapter of PML-N.

As he was about to start, Mr Khokhar also stood on his seat, demanding he should also be given the floor to respond to the “media trial” of MQM.

However, when the chair did not allow him he kept on uttering something that was inaudible in the press gallery, following which his microphone was switched off on the orders of speaker.

 On this, Mr Khokhar and his colleague Mohammad Saleem Butt walked out of the hall in protest.

Interestingly, the MQM legislators - who were members of the AJK cabinet until their dismissal by Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed on Tuesday, a day after he had given them an ultimatum of 72 hours to break away from Mr Hussain - were sitting on the opposition benches. However, after they walked out, neither the treasury nor the opposition members made any effort to bring them back to the house.

The duo then hit back at Mr Majeed and others in front of the media persons, covering assembly proceedings.

Back in the hall, while condemning the recent “provocative and contemptible” statements of Mr Hussain, PML-N president Haider insisted that the Britain should proceed against her citizen for “inciting hatred and violence in Pakistan.”

He asked what he called patriotic parliamentarians of the MQM to stop Mr Hussain, facing charges of money laundering and homicide in Britain, from using the name of MQM.

Mr Haider also called for legal proceedings to disqualify the MQM lawmakers in AJK under the relevant laws and Constitution “for their condemnable press conference in Islamabad.”

Other movers included ministers Chaudhry Latif Akbar and Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim, deputy speaker Shaheen Kousar Dar, PML-N MLAs Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Syed Shaukat Ali Shah, Farooq Ahmed Tahir and MC MLAs Sardar Mir Akbar Khan and Sardar Siab Khalid.

All of them condemned Mr Hussain for “impairing the identity and prestige of country and maligning the institution responsible for national safety,” and demanded exemplary punishment to him under charges of high treason.

They maintained that since Mr Hussain’s views had also hurt the sentiments of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), AJK government should clamp a ban on MQM unless all of its members dissociated themselves from the London based leader. 

They also urged the media to stop giving coverage to the elements “playing into the hands of anti-Pakistan forces.”

All movers paid rich tributes to the government of Pakistan, army and other law enforcement agencies for their commendable contribution to restoring peace in Karachi.

Winding up debate, Premier Majeed announced that a parliamentary committee, representing treasury and opposition benches, would summarise the resolutions and assembly’s debate thereon to be sent to the British government.

“He (Altaf Hussain) conspires and spews venom against Pakistan and its armed forces and we cannot accept and tolerate him or his likes,” he said.

The AJK premier maintained that the MQM chief had a proven nexus with India, “notwithstanding the fact it had unleashed a reign of terror in held Kashmir to perpetuate its occupation, apart from masterminding acts of terrorism in Pakistan.”

“The exasperating remarks of MQM chief have aroused deep resentment among the Kashmiris on both sides of the divide,” he added. 

Regarding disqualification of MQM legislators, the AJK premier said since they had taken oath of allegiance to Pakistan, he would look what action could be taken against them following their renewed support to Mr Hussain. 

Earlier, a rally was also held in Muzaffarabad to express solidarity with the armed forces and condemn tirade of abuse against the country and its institutions by MQM chief.

MQM lawmakers hit back

Speaking to media persons, Tahir Khokhar and Saleem Butt also gave an “ultimatum of 72 hours” to Premier Majeed to apologise to their party, or else they would make some startling disclosures about him.

Until yesterday, Mr Majeed would describe Altaf Hussain as his leader, but today he is using foul language against him, they said, while waving a CD which they claimed contained recordings of telephonic conversations between Mr Majeed and Mr Hussain.

Mr Majeed should himself tell that who he would call in MQM London secretariat and what kind of language he used against “institutions and individuals, they said.

They questioned that when Asif Ali Zardari spoke against the army, why similar resolutions were not moved by Mr Majeed and others against him?

They also condemned the ruling party for brazenly infringing democratic traditions by denying MQM right to speak in the face of nine resolutions against its leader.

Tariq Naqash

AJK govt calls joint sitting to condemn MQM chief remarks

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has called a joint sitting of the AJK Assembly and the AJK Council here on Friday to express condemnation of an alleged provocative and anti-state speech of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain.

A day before the joint sitting, protest rallies would also be held at all district headquarters of AJK on Thursday against the Britain based MQM leader on the call of Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, according to an official handout issued here on Monday.

On the advice of Mr Majeed, his Minister for Finance, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, had submitted a resolution against Mr Hussain in the Legislative Assembly secretariat, the handout added. 

It said that Mr Majeed had given an “ultimatum of 72 hours” to the two MQM ministers in his cabinet “to dissociate themselves from Mr Hussain.”

There was no clarification as to how the ultimatum had been conveyed to the MQM ministers and what action would be taken if they did not comply with it. 

 It may be mentioned here that the two MQM lawmakers – Tahir Khokhar and Saleem Butt – have been elected for the second consecutive term from the constituencies of Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan, mainly Karachi.

The MQM has been an ally of the Peoples Party led government in AJK from the inception of sitting assembly in 2011. In October last year, the party announced that its members would quit the AJK government like that of Sindh in protest against PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s outburst against Mr Hussain.

The announcement made by MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar notwithstanding, resignations of his party’s ministers in AJK remained a mystery for a long time, as neither the government accepted nor publicly rejected the same. 

The duo did not surrender the perks and privileges admissible to cabinet members for a single day. But while Mr Khokhar stopped taking interest in the affairs of his transport ministry, his colleague continued to organise different events and programmes to promote sports and Kashmiri culture under his sports, youth and culture ministry. 

In the handout, Premier Majeed said further stay of MQM ministers in his cabinet would be tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of Kashmiris, who were fighting Indian rule in the held territory while waving Pakistani flags. 

While praising the armed forces as defenders of the honour and integrity of Kashmiris and guarantors of the stability of Pakistan, Mr Majeed maintained that the ‘venomous propaganda’ by Mr Hussain against the armed forces and other national institutions amounted to commission of treason, which no patriotic Pakistani could tolerate.

He asserted that PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had upheld party’s tradition to offer sacrifices for the supreme interests of the country, and added that it was under Mr Zardari’s reconciliation policy that MQM was taken in the folds of AJK government in 2011.

However, ironically when Zarb-e-Azab and Karachi operations were launched by the army to purge the country of the menace of terrorism, “Mr Hussain was seen siding by the anti-state forces,” the AJK premier said.

He said people of Kashmir who had already declared Pakistan as their ultimate destiny could not afford any conspiracy aimed at weakening the country.

When contacted by telephone, Mr Khokhar took strong exception to the statement of Mr Majeed and said the PPP had no right to dictate to the MQM ministers about their political affiliation. 

 “This is a childish rather (sic) cheap move on the part of the AJK government… They have resorted to it to please some institutions and to cover up their corruption,” he said.

Mr Khokhar said he had come to know about the ‘ultimatum’ from some TV channels, and as yet he had not received anything from the government in black and white.

"Why is he giving ultimatum, he should take action whatever he wants," he said.

Tariq Naqash