‘Altaf’s address waste of time’

All the political parties except the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) described Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief’s video address on Friday a non-event and a waste of time.
Altaf Hussain, during almost four hours of address — the longest in Pakistan’s political history and shown live on all private channels — actually revealed nothing except for allegations without any proof that the Awami National Party (ANP) received money from the US to win general elections in 2008, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers were heavily armed and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) was running an underground armed group called ‘Thunder Squad’.

All three named parties, however, scoffed at the allegations saying the accusations coming from the MQM chief were meanningless when everyone knows who started extortion rackets, ran death squads, grabbed lands and killed own supporters in Karachi if they dared to speak against the party leader.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that Altaf wasted valuable time of the entire nation through his irrelevant tirade with no evidence and did not respond to the allegations made on oath by Dr Zulfiqar Mirza that really prompted him to address the people.

The ANP, for so long a coalition partner along with the MQM in Sindh and at the centre, said that the address was a sheer waste of time that had no substance whatsoever and Altaf appeared mentally sick.

“The MQM chief is feeling insecure and the noose around him is tightening in connection with the assassination of Dr Imran Farooq,” declared ANP Senator Zahid Khan when asked to comment on MQM leader’s outburst and his accusation that Asfandar Wali Khan received millions of dollars from the USA.

Not to anyone surprise Altaf did not utter a single word against the Pakistan People’s Party, President Asif Ali Zardari, whom he called brother, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and former senior provincial minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, the man who opened the Pandora’s box and alleged that the MQM and Altaf were foreign agents and working for the disintegration of Pakistan.

When asked what was his comment on Altaf’s address, Dr Mirza told newsmen that it was an entertainment show with some song and dance number and never answered my accusations.

During his marathon address Altaf also criticised the judiciary claiming that it was powerless to get any of the dozens of verdicts implemented and urged the army and Inter Services Intelligence to stop the genocide of Urdu speaking population in Karachi.

JI Karachi chief Mohammed Hussain Mehanti told newsmen that MQM chief was confused and did not know what was he talking about and worth not even mentioning when all and sundry were aware of the party and its working.

khaleejtimes.com