Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday referring to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s recent diatribe has said that the MQM supremo’s ‘loose talk’ frequently led to the worsening of the situation in Karachi. “The frequent worsening of the situation (in Karachi) is not because of the government’s performance, nor that of the Rangers or army; it is because of Altaf Hussain’s loose talk,” the minister told a press conference in Islamabad.Altaf Hussain, while addressing the 19th worker’s convention in Dallas on Saturday, had asked MQM activists to approach the United Nations and Nato headquarters in the United States and “inform them of human rights abuses against the muhajir community”, according to a statement on the MQM website.Nisar said the cases that were registered against Hussain in London were not of a political nature, adding that Pakistan’s cooperation with the UK was so that the cases may be resolved and should be looked at in that light only. He added that cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom had been under way as the case was registered in that country. Chaudhry Nisar says the government is contemplating a blanket ban on Altaf Hussain’s speeches in the country. While it may free us from Bhai’s tortured verse and stale delivery, it would also set a dangerous precedent. Criticism, in all forms and medium, is the bedrock of democracy. Without it the public can’t make decisions, the parliament can’t debate laws and the media can’t scrutinise the institutions. If Altaf’s attack on the army, his appeal to foreign institutes, and his permanent presence outside the country makes him liable for punishment, then Asif Ali Zardari – another individual who fits all three categories – must be punished too. If criticism of state institutes earns you a blanket ban, then most politicians should pack up and head for the hills, including the Interior Minister himself. Almost all deride the parliament, the ECP, the Supreme Court, the police or the bureaucracy, on a daily basis.Altaf Hussain is just making himself as much of a nuisance as possible. However, people like Chaudhry Nisar reacting in this zealous manner only play into his hands, giving him another reason to say that the government always targets him unfairly.
pk.shafaqna.com
