Mr Altaf Hussain, MQM’s Founder and
Leader, expressed his surprise over President Pervez Musharraf’s
remarks that the so-called jihadi organisations/groups are
responsible for tarnishing Pakistan’s image in the eyes of
the international community. It may be noted that President
Musharraf gave this comment while briefing the leaders of
different religious and political shades this week. Expressing
his deep concern over this partial truth, Mr Hussain said that
the President though is right in drawing this conclusion but what
is more important is that the nation now wants to know from him
the complete truth that whether the jihadi groups or outfits
alone are responsible for Pakistan’s image dilemma or there
are more powerful and vested interests behind pushing Pakistan
into this unwanted and embarrassing situation. The time has
come that President Musharraf must rise above the occasion, speak
up “the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth”
– the President should take the nation into confidence, Mr
Hussain added. After asking for liberty from the President,
Mr Hussain said it is the President and the President alone, who
is in a position to tell the entire nation that as to who
created, armed, financed, organised and patronised the said
jihadi groups and organisations in Pakistan. If the
President is still naïve to the answer to this question then he
must investigate and expose before the nation the secret
otherwise open hands behind the internal and external policy
nonsense of setting up of so-called jihadi and religious
extremist outfits. Mr Hussain further said that the nation
wants the answer to the question in their minds that whether
these so-called jihadi groups or outfits were created or formed
on their own or by the powerful hands of the Establishment.Concluding his response to the comments by the President, Mr Hussain said that he was hopeful that speaking of complete truth, strict compliance of the principles of fairness and justice and confiding in the nation by the people at the helm of affairs will ensure internal strength required to counter external threats.