MQM chief Altaf Hussain charged with treason, cops seal HQ

MQM second-in-command vows to disown him a day after his speech led to violence in Karachi.

A treason case was lodged on Tuesday against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and other party leaders for raising anti-Pakistan slogans, , as his own second-in-command vowed to disown him a day after a violent protest in Karachi.

MQM activists clashed with the police and ransacked a private television station in the southern port city leaving at least one man dead and seven others injured.

Responding to the protests, paramilitary rangers launched a major offensive here and sealed offices of the party.

The violence erupted soon after Altaf Hussain, gave a telephone address to his supporters in which he castigated the media for not giving due coverage to his workers.

Inspector-general police Sindh A.D. Khawaja said the case has been filed under the provisions of Pakistan penal code at Artillery Maidan police station. He said that legal action would be taken against Altaf Hussain for his inflammatory speeches outside Karachi Press Club. Leaders and workers who chanted slogans and statements against the sovereignty of Pakistan during MQM hungerstrike have also been named in the case.

Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan contacted senior British officials and demanded action against Altaf Hussain’s derogatory speeches that sparked strife in Karachi.

He alleged the MQM chief was using British land to provoke hostility in Pakistan.

The interior minister also called on directorate-general Rangers and directed him to launch stern action against the violators. He also instructed to beef up security arrangements of all the media houses.

Earlier, Rangers took MQM’s Farooq Sattar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Aamir Liaquat and Amir Khan into custody after violent MQM workers clashed with the police and surrounded the office of a private news channel in Karachi by taking down the gate of Madina Mall and broke the windows of the building.

Later, Hussain’s second-in-command Farooq Sattar said the MQM “completely disowns” Hussain’s statements, accusing him of repeatedly embarrassing the party. “The MQM cannot afford to suffer this damage time and time again,” he said, explaining what he claimed was a party decision to take control away from Hussain. The senior membership of MQM confirmed that they are no longer under the directive of Hussain.

Later, MQM chief Altaf Hussain apologised to Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and director-general Rangers Major General Bilawal Akbar for his anti-Pakistan speech Monday.

In a statement issued from London, Mr Hussain asked for forgiveness from the Army and Rangers chiefs.

“From the depth of my heart, I beg pardon for my remarks against Pakistan and the establishment, including General Raheel Sharif and D-G Rangers,” the MQM chief said.

“I was under severe mental stress over extra-judicial arrests and precarious condition of my workers sitting at the hunger striking camp,” he added.

“Being a Pakistani, I assure the Pakistani people, establishment, Army, Inter-Services Intelli-gence, all higher authorities and leaders that I will never use such words again,” he said.

Earlier, the MQM leader — in a telephonic address to his supporters — raised slogans against Pakistan and referred to the country as “a cancer for entire world”.

Mr Hussain is known for his fiery addresses to his supporters in Karachi though a loudspeaker connected to a telephone in his London home.

Also on Tuesday, MQM leader Farooq Sattar told a news conference that the party will not accept anti-Pakistan slogans from Altaf Hussain or anybody else.

He said the MQM will now operate from inside Pakistan, hinting that London-based Altaf Hussain will have little role in party affairs.

Mr Hussain does not have any formal office in the party and the MQM is registered in Farooq Sattar’s name with the Election Commission of Pakistan.