MQM-P has nothing do with Altaf anymore, SHC told

Party legislators say petitioner seeking their disqualification and a ban on MQM-P
is habitual of filing frivolous petitions

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had denounced the anti-State speech of the party’s founder Altaf Hussain and completely disassociated itself from him, MQM legislators told the Sindh High Court in their written comments on Tuesday.

The comments were filed in response to a petition seeking a ban on the MQM and disqualification of its legislators following the anti-state speech by the party’s founder on August 22.

MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar and other legislators submitted that when Hussain had delivered the speech, the party had disassociated itself from him and resolutions were passed by them in national and provincial assemblies that action should taken against him in accordance with the law.

They submitted that the petition was filed at the behest of the MQM-P’s political opponents, who wished to disfranchise the voters of southern Sindh and create a vacuum

They said similar petitions were filed before the national assembly speaker and the senate chairman but they were dismissed.

The legislators said the MQM-P was no longer affiliated with the leadership in London and those seeking a ban on it similar to the National Awami Party’s case were not sincere to Pakistan or the voters of urban Sindh. They sought the dismissal of the petition as it was not maintainable and the petitioner was habitual in filing frivolous petitions before the court.

The petitioner, Moulvi Iqbal Haider, had said MQM MNAs and MPAs had heard the anti-State speech of the party founders Altaf Hussain at an activists’ gathering on August 22. In his speech, Hussain had passed remarks against the solidarity, integrity and security of the country.

He submitted that MQM legislators had neither agitated nor raised any slogans against the MQM founder but to save their skin had disassociated themselves from the speech.

He submitted that the federation of Pakistan was duty bound to ban the MQM in accordance with Article 5, 5, 17(2) of the Constitution as its legislators had received because of Hussain, who had nominated them to contest the elections of senate and the national and provincial assemblies.

He submitted that after Hussain's speech, all MQM parliamentarians had no right to hold their offices an were required to be prosecuted in terms of 11-F of the Anti Terrorism Act.

He said the federal and provincial governments were not taking action, but the law did not permit them to remain silent. It was submitted that it was a requirement of the law – in line with the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Abdul Wali Khan case - that MQM and its elected members of the parliament be disqualified and their declared vacant by the election commission.