A COMMISSION TO BE FORMULATED CONSISTING OF SUPREME COURT JUDGES TO PROBE THE MURDER OF MAULANA SALIM QUADRI - ALTAF HUSSAIN

London - 21 May 2001

Mr Altaf Hussain, MQM Founder and Leader, has made a direct appeal to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Justice Irshad Hasan Khan to take serious notice of the callous murder of Maulana Salim Quadri, Quaid Sunni Tehreek, on 18 May 2001, in Karachi. He also asked for a Commission to be formulated consisting of Supreme Court Judges to investigate the heinous crime. Mr Altaf Hussain also directed the attention of the Chief Justice Irshad Hasan to the report published by Urdu Daily "Ummat" of 21 May 2001, where the paper has made serious allegations about the murder of Maulana Salim Quadri and asked for suo-moto, action in due course of law under the constitutional provisions. Mr Altaf Hussain pointed out to Justice Irshad Hasan that the Ummat Newspaper has made direct allegations against me and my party workers. In this regard, the paper has alleged that Intelligence Agencies have a tape in their possession with a record of my conversation with Maulana Salim Quadri, where according to the news report I had passed some instructions to the Maulana. The Newspaper has also published a detailed running commentary on the murder of Maulana Quadri. It is, therefore, the duty of the Supreme Court on legal and moral grounds to launch full investigation into the murder of Maulana Quadri and consider making all the details published in Daily Ummat as part of their deliberations. If the allegations levelled against me in Daily Ummat are proved correct then due action in law should be taken against me. But if the allegations against me and my fellow workers are proved wrong, then the august court must take an action against the paper and its editors in accordance with the legal framework. Finally, Mr Altaf Hussain appealed to Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan to accept this as a formal petition in the august court against Ummat Newspaper and conduct an impartial investigation into the callous murder of Maulana Salim Quadri, so that the facts are revealed to the people of Pakistan.