Imran’s legal war on terror against Altaf

Dr Shahid Qureshi

While sitting behind iron bars of a death cell in Central Prison of Lahore Rehmat Shah Afridi editor in chief of The Frontier Post said to me, “I must salute you for your bold writings and courage to criticise Prime Minister Tony Blair’s policies while living in London”. I humbly thanked and told him that I also voted Labour Party and Tony Blair. I am a tax payer and my rights are protected by law and not by my loyalties to governments and politicians. Senior journalist and writer Wakeel Anjum and I were visiting imprisoned editor. I have raised this matter to seek resolution with national and international personalities but nothing happened. I and his son Mahmood Afridi are looking and waiting at the Supreme Court of Pakistan to decide. The rule and supremacy of law give confidence to citizens. That is why millions of people marched against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Interestingly majority of them were white British. Labour party lost dozens of seats in the in last general elections because of it ignored people’s opinion and supported an illegal war. “Why do you want to join ‘Lincoln Inn”, an interview panel asked me in a scholarship interview at the Lincoln’s Inn in London? I replied, ‘because Mohammad Ali Jinnah studied here and that’s the only reason’. I was doing Post graduation in Law from a British University in 1999. I wrote a dissertation on Human Rights Act 1998 and ‘Qyum Raja’s case, powers of Home Secretary and tariff sentencing to get better understanding of the human rights and power of state. “You met and visited a criminal (self exiled Altaf HUssain of MQM) who is wanted in Pakistan for murder, arson, and criminal damage’ what message are you sending to the law abiding citizens of Pakistan? I asked Prime Minsiter Shaukat Aziz at International Institute Strategic Studies London in March 2006. Pakistani Prime Minister asked me where I live first than said, ‘MQM is our political ally, and there is no harm in meeting him’. Babar Ghauri, and Farooq Sattar were also present at the lecture. I was thrown out with all other London based Pakistani journalists from the evening meeting of the Prime Minister. Few months later a high official of the Pakistan High Commission said, ‘you asked a negative question to the prime minister at IISS’. I told him that, ‘you can ask me if the question was valid and legitimate or not. I told him few years ago Pakistani leaders were asking Britain for Altaf Hussain’s extradition to Pakistan. I told him State of Pakistan is more important than a coalition with some one who openly attacks on the sovereignty of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan was reportedly seeking extradition of Altaf Hussain who was said to be wanted in 50 murders and 150 cases of kidnapping and arson. Altaf Hussain, a trained pharmacist who has been living in England since 1992. Foreign Commonwealth Office London sent a written response to me on 18th May 2007 about Altaf Hussain’s alleged terrorist activities and extradition to Pakistan: “(a) [IF EXTRADITION QUESTION RAISED: It is long-established UK policy and practice never to confirm or deny receipt of an extradition request unless or until an arrest pursuant to the request has been made]. (b) We condemn the violence in Karachi over the weekend (12th May 2007) and urge restraint on all parties. (c) Altaf Hussain is a British citizen and, like anyone else in the UK, must abide by UK law. Any allegations against him will be thoroughly investigated in accordance with UK law”. Graham Bell inventor of telephone must be turning in his grave with the thoughts that his invention is being used by some one who proudly become British Citizen in few years but was remain refugee ‘Mohajir’ in Pakistan for decades. Who went to India with his British Passport but will not go to Pakistan even when his party is ruling the province. So what is stopping him going back to Pakistan? Leader of Justice Party and cricket legend Imran Khan calls, ‘Altaf Hussain number one terrorist of Pakistan’ and intended to file a case in the English Court probably for exporting terrorism, murder and hate to Pakistan. Sind government banned the entry of Imran Kahn for one month and Punjab Government served him a three day restrictions ‘not to go out of boundaries of Lahore’ by using a black legal precedent used by the colonialists against the freedom fighters or anti occupationists before partition of India. “We are going to publicise the evidence of Altaf Hussain’s alleged affair with a singer, his involvement in murder and terrorism” said Zahid Ali supposedly a lawyer who called on a live DM Digital TV broadcast on 27th May Manchester. MQM said they are going to file a motion in the parliament under article 66 of the Pakistani constitution and get Imran Khan’s membership cancelled for his involvement in immoral activities. In response Imran Khan told Faeza Dawood of ARY TV channel on 27th May, ‘I am glad MQM is taking a legal action in the parliament’. He further said, ‘parliament would be empty if article 66 is applied on the members’! I am not sure if Altaf Hussain had paid any taxes or national insurance in last 15 years since 1992. He was Taxi driver in Chicago and used to drive Honda 50cc in Pakistan but reportedly never worked in the UK. So who is funding his party MQM and what are the financial sources? Is it a registered charity, political party in UK, company, or association? In any case Altaf Hussain, MQM and its member’s finances and activities must be fully investigated under British law to avoid any future criminal incidents on British soil.