PTI received full support from Uzair Baloch: Habib Jan

LONDON: Uzair Jan Baloch’s aide and associate Habib Jan Baloch has said that Uzair Jan supported both Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but PTI wanted Uzair and his associates to support the party secretly fearing questions from media. Speaking to The News and Geo here, Habib Jan explained in an exclusive interview that Uzair Jan, Rehman Baloch and others told PTI leadership that they were patriotic Pakistanis and will give support in public and will not hide their support for PTI.

London-based Habib Jan features in both Joint Investigation Team (JIT) reports as a key associate of Uzair Jan Baloch. For uptil 2015, he ran a group called Friends of Layari International and held events in the houses of Parliament and mainly opposed MQM and Altaf Hussain.

Habib Jan claimed that without Uzair Jan’s support, Imran Khan and former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhary would not have been able to enter Karachi and hold public meetings; Federal Ministers Faisal Vawda and Ali Zaidi would not have been in a position to hold public rallies without Uzair Jan’s support.

Habib Jan revealed that it was in 2011 when PTI-UK’s former president Rabiz Zia, who now works for Punjab Governor Chaudhary Sarwar, called on his cell phone and said that Imran Khan wanted to speak to Zulfikar Mirza as both Imran Khan and Mirza happened to be in London at the same time.

Habib Jan said: “I asked Rabia Zia to let me speak to Imran Khan first. Imran Khan asked me how I was doing etc and then he spoke to Zulfikar Mirza. I remember I was in West London’s Dawat Restaurant when I received Rabia’s call. It was agreed that we would support PTI. Following that Uzair Baloch sent 25 or 40 vehicles for PTI’s Karachi jelsa; we also sent our manpower to PTI’s Larkana jelsa.”

Habib Jan added: “I was in PTI and I still consider myself in PTI. We supported Imran Khan for his anti-corruption agenda and we had no choice after Benazir Bhutto’s martyrdom. We hated Asif Ali Zardari so out of Zardari-hatred we went to PTI. I have pictures with the late Naeemul Haq and Ali Zaidi but I don’t want to please those pictures. I have regard for the values. Without our help, Imran Khan would not have been able to come out of Karachi airport. Similarly, Iftikhar Chaudhary would not have been able to come out too.”

Habib Jan claimed that Uzair Baloch helped PTI leaders to hold public rallies in Karachi and without their support, the PTI would not have dared. “I ask Faisal Vawda to explain how he held a rally in Clifton, I ask Ali Zaidi the same question. Layari and Malir were the main PTI support base. We gave them oxygen through Layari although we don’t take credit for getting their MNAs and MPAs elected, that’s another story how they were helped. I still support Imran Khan and Layari will be with him if he stops taking policy U-turns.”

Habib Jan said that Pakistan Muslim League’s Ghaus Ali Shah “came to us too and met us secretly. He also wanted us to support PML-N secretly. PTI also wanted us to support them secretly but I said that we would not give secret support and Uzair and Zafar agreed with me. We said we are patriotic Pakistanis and our support will be public and we have open support. Naeemul Haq was heading PTI Sindh at that time and he became the bridge of communication between PTI and us. We went too far with each other.”

Habib Jan said that none other than Ali Zaidi tweeted in person and confirmed our support for PTI and declared that charges against Uzair Jan Baloch are politically motivated.

Habib Jan claimed that Uzair Jan Baloch is an “innocent man” and he should be rewarded for his services for Pakistan and locally and not maligned through JIT reports.

Habib Jan said that PPP’s support for Uzair Jan and vice versa is well known to all and Faryal Talpur, Qadir Patel, Sharmila Faruqi and Saeed Ghani held negotiations with Uzair Jan Baloch. “They didn’t like me and at one point they held talks on the condition that I will not be made part of any talks. I agreed but I told Uzair to film the PPP leadership so later on they don’t deny.”

Referring to the lynching of gangster Arshad Pappu by the associates of Uzair Jan, Habib Jan said that Uzair may have committed a mistake but said that those were unusual times as Layari groups were engaged in a war against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). He said that if Britain can honour a character like Robin Hood then why couldn’t Pakistan do the same in Uzair Jan’s case.

Habib Jan rejected JITs by PPP government as well as the one presented by Ali Zaidi. He said allegations made in the JIT are frivolous and Uzair has not committed the crimes as alleged. He said investigators in Pakistan are known for drawing confessions through use of force. “I will not believe anything unless I personally hear anything from Uzair, through his audio or video.”

Habib Jan said the JIT should have been released when Zardari and Faryal were in jail. “There is no point of these JITs anymore when they are out on bails. I reject all allegations against Uzair Jan and I stand by him.”

He said that those blaming Uzair Jan should first watch interview of Muhammad Anwar to Geo News recently in which the MQM leader said that he personally met Indian diplomats on behalf of his party to receive funding. “Uzair was engaged in war against those who wanted to damage Pakistan. He took on Karachi mafia when there was no one to stand for Pakistan. Musharraf had made alliance with Altaf Hussain; Rehman Malik and PPP government were in alliance with Altaf Hussain and the only people standing against MQM were Uzair and people of Layari.”

Habib Jan said that he didn’t believe that Uzair Jan was involved in the killing spree as alleged but “even if he has committed those crimes, I still stand by him because it was justifiable at that time and it was for Pakistan”.

Habib Jan alleged that Rehman Malik and Asif Zardari were involved in crimes against people of Layari on behest of Altaf Hussain as they were in an alliance. He said that it was due to Pervez Musharraf’s blunder of making alliance with Altaf Hussain that Karachi was thrown into a war where people like Uzair had to take a stand.

Habib Jan called on Pakistan to form Truth and Reconciliation Commission and start a new chapter. He said that Muhammad Anwar’s interview to Geo News is vindication of what Uzair and his associates did in Karachi because there was a threat against the city and Pakistan. He said that people of Layari and Karachi were proud of Uzair Jan.