MQM Press Conference: Mustafa Kamal answers 'baseless' allegations on MQM, The Express

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and former Karachi Nazim, Mustafa Kamal addressed a press conference at the MQM headquarters nine-zero, in Azizabad Karachi where he lashed out against former Sindh senior minister’s Zulfiqar Mirza’s allegations against the MQM.

Kamal called for the Chief Justice of Pakistan to conduct an inquiry into the claims made by Zulfiqar Mirza of issuing over 300,000 arms licences and whether all of these licences were issued in accordance with law and not to raise a private army for Mirza.

He said that the MQM had chosen to remain silent over allegations against it over the past week since it did not wish to get embroiled in a war of words.

He also laid allegations of an ongoing slant in the media against the MQM. He said that a letter, purportedly written by MQM chief Altaf Hussain to Tony Blair where he had agreed to break up Pakistan, was being used as proof to paint MQM in a negative light.

Furthermore, Kamal said that the media had been playing up the viewpoints put forward by Zulfiqar Mirza. Media anchors were deliberately holding a media trial of the MQM in their programs, he said.

Kamal also blamed the media for ignoring the ISI and Army confessions of falsely blaming the MQM for harboring anti-state elements which had led operations against the MQM in 1992.

Target killings

Responding to the allegations by Zulfiqar Mirza of MQM-led target killing in Karachi, Kamal said that it was not the MQM who had started the indiscriminate murder of Mohajirs in Hyderabad, at Katti Pahari and Shershah.

He pointed out that hundreds of people had been abducted around Lyari on the basis of their Urdu speaking ethnicity. These people were then tortured, killed, and their cut up bodies stuffed in gunny bags.

Kamal also called into question the video testimony of Ajmal Pahari. The former mayor questioned why Pahari was the only target killer found by the intelligence agencies. Kamal also claimed that Pahari had confessed under torture, hence his testimony could not be believed.

“Anyone given under a JIT would have confessed to plotting the 9/11 attacks within two hours. Pahari would even confess to all those crimes he did not commit under torture, anyone would,” Kamal said.

He also questioned why there had been no suo motu notice of the killings in 1992 when 15,000 Mohajirs had been killed.

Answering the allegations placed on the MQM by PPP leader, Lashkari Raisani, Kamal asked why Raisani was overlooking the fact that criminals rained bullets for four days at Katti Pahari, and when culprits forced passengers off a bus in Benaras and shot dead 14 people.

Kamal also blamed the government for not giving Rangers orders sooner to move into the affected areas of Katti Pahari and confronting criminals.

Suo Motu on Karachi killings

Kamal said that MQM would fully support and facilitate the suo motu investigations into the Karachi killings.

He also urged the media to refrain from issuing judgments till the court had come to a decision.

Stealing NATO containers

Rebutting allegations about MQM stealing NATO supplies, Mustafa Kamal questioned what motive the party would have to do that.

He also posed a question to Zulfiqar Mirza regarding FIRs registered against the MQM for raiding NATO containers.