Altaf Hussain: Taliban are inhumane, illiterate, stone-age people

Taliban are inhumane, illiterate and people from the stone-age, said Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday in Karachi. Hussain was addressing the participants of a conference held in honour of Malala Yousafzai. The 14-year-old child rights activists was attacked by Taliban gunmen on October 9 when she was on her way home from school. Hussain said that if the armed forces fail to apprehend these culprits, then the nation will be left with no other option but to look towards the international community for the safety of their children. “May I ask where are Pakistan’s armed forces, and its high-ranking personnel who utilise up to 80% of the country’s resources?” the MQM chief questioned. He further questioned the role of the political and religious parties. “Why are they quiet, why don’t they fight against the Taliban?” he stressed. “See their wealth, their property; see how much they have gained through politics. Unfortunately, they are not fulfilling their national obligations and responsibilities,” he said. Female education and Islam Calling Malala a beacon of hope for millions of girls in Pakistan, Hussain asked if acquiring education was a crime. He further said that the Taliban’s stance on female education was against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Hussain added that there are very few religious scholars who preach the correct version of the religion, while the rest are all “religious thugs” whose agenda is to “sell Islam”. “I am humbly requesting all the genuine religious leaders and scholars to speak up now. It is your duty. If you remain silent then you are similar to the terrorists,” he said. Speaking about the injustices taking place in the country, the MQM chief said that his party has always condemned oppression regardless of the consequences – be it the attack on Malala, the blasphemy case against Rimsha Masih or attacks on churches and temples. “MQM was, is and will always remain against drone attacks,” he added. Suo motu The MQM chief called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of the brazen attack on Malala. “We don’t want a favour, we want justice,” he said. Movement to mobilise people While speaking to the gathering, MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said the event is the first step in a movement to mobilise people against extremism and militancy. He stated that Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan is engulfing into the darkness and everyone needs to unite in order to save it. Commenting on the attack on Malala, Sattar said that it was an attack on Jinnah’s Pakistan, Allama Iqbal’s vision and the ideology of the country. “The attack on Malala was an attack on Pakistan’s conscience,” he stressed. He further said that a handful of militants wanted to enforce their way of life on the people of Pakistan.