Not MQM`s, Their Loyalty Is Questionable!

Altaf Hussain (MQM founder & leader) `s speech (in which he refused to accept the Talibanized/radicalized Pakistan) created a hue and cry in the country. His traditional rivals (including politicians, military establishment and media) termed it as a treasonous act and declared Altaf Hussain as a traitor. They started bashing MQM leaders and required them to part their ways from him. Although MQM`s leaders tried to explain the objected sentences as well as the background behind them, yet the “patriot” Pakistanis refused to even let them speak saying, “There can be no justification to treason”. There was so much pressure that Dr. Farooq Sattar (an MQM`s senior leader) had no option, but to disown the controversial statement of the party`s founder in order to prove the party`s loyalty with the country.

 

Keeping in view the standard set to prove loyalty with the country, question is, do the “patriot Pakistanis” themselves too meet this requirement?

It was no one else, but PTI`s chairman Imran Khan himself who kept on inciting people against the democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif during his Sit-in in the highly sensitive Red Zone. He even asked people to start civil disobedience. It was Imran Khan and (PAT`s) Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri`s incitement due to which their followers attached not a private TV channel, but the state-owned TV (PTV) which suspended the transmission. However, they themselves neither sought apology over it, nor did their party leadership part ways with them. Not to forget that the Army chief had already instructed the government not to use force against the protesters and asked to have dialogue with them. 

It is an open secret that Moualana Fazal-ur-Rehman and Moualana Sami-ul-Haq always supported and defended Taliban groups who not only refused to accept the constitution of Pakistan, but also killed over fifty thousand people. But, none of the state authorities ever objected to their support to the terrorists. Nor did their parties (JUI-F and JUI-S) disassociate themselves from their leaders.

Like JUI-F and JUI-S leaders, Jamat-e-Islami`s then chief (Ameer) also strongly defended Taliban and even refused to term the Pak army soldiers, who had got killed in the fight with TTP, as martyred (Shaheed). The Inter-Services Public Relations of Pakistan Army (ISPR) asked him to tender apology, but the JI altogether rejected the demand and strongly defended its chief. Yet, no action was taken by the military establishment against Munawwar Hassan and his party like the one going on against MQM.

PML-N`s Khuwaja Asif`s extremely anti-Pak army speech (which was given not during a public protest, but on the floor of the national assembly) is still on the record. Similarly, Nawaz Sharif`s exclusively interview in which he bashed the army generals and blamed them to deliberately avoid respecting a democratically elected Prime Minister, cannot be ignored as well. Interestingly, one of them became the Defense Minister, while the other Prime Minister of Pakistan. This was possible because of the support of their party. Question is, was any office sealed or demolished of PML-N over having politically backed the persons to be tried under the high treason charges? Why did the military establishment not react against them in the same manner as he did against MQM and its leader Altaf Hussain?

In addition to the above-stated persons, there are many more people like Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Asfandyar Wali, Zulfiqar Mirza, Mir Murtaza Bhutto, Qadir Magsi, Rasool Bakhsh Palejo etc who have passed even worse remarks against Pakistan and the Pakistan army, yet none of them or their parties was required to prove their loyalty with the country like MQM and Altaf Hussain.

More importantly, since 1958 to 12 October, 1999 there have been several military coups by which then army chiefs by force took over the country and kicked out politically elected prime ministers. Hijacking the state owned television station (PTV) was always considered as one of the first steps taken (to nip any public reaction in the bud) during the coup. Needless to mention that a military takeover is termed as high treason by the Constitution of Pakistan is tried under Article 6.

Question is, did any of the said army chief seek apology over their “madness” from the people of Pakistan? Similarly, did the ISPR, on behalf of the armed forces, ever announce disassociation from their chiefs in order to prove their loyalty with the country like MQM?

Moreover, did we ever witness the lawyers` community to announce disassociation from the PCO judges who aided and abetted with the military dictators? Not at all! Instead of condemning them, lawyers, political parties and civil society staged rallies in support of a PCO CJP Iftekhar Choudhry during the lawyers` movement. Pakistani electronic and print also played a crucial role in the movement during which not only the Army generals, but also the judiciary (Dogar Court) were badly mocked. Question is, was observing, supporting and propagating for a civil disobedience as per the Constitution and prevailing laws of the country? When no, did any of them apologize over their illegal acts?

Regarding Altaf Hussain, in fact, he seems to be having a solid background/justification of his each and every word in the objected speech. Because he and his party had already called attention of all the state authorities (by way of speeches, letters, press conferences, reports to the Sindh & federal governments, resolutions in the parliaments, legal petitions to the High and Supreme Courts and eventually public protests) to the discrimination and the resulting victimization that Urdu speaking had been facing in Pakistan for decades. 

But, question is, can the state authorities quote a single valid reason as a justification for having not addressed and resolved the MQM/Altaf Hussain`s issues during the last 40 years? When no, do they deserve to object to his reaction anyway? However, if still anyone in Pakistan terms him and his party MQM as traitors or anti-state, there will be nothing, but obvious racism and hatred for them.