Altaf voices concern over national security

By our correspondent
The News International
November 29, 2001
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KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief, Altaf Hussain, has expressed concern over the national security of the country, pointing out that the external situation, particularly the situation surrounding Pakistan was very serious.

He was addressing the journalists at Karachi Press Club telephonically, where he hosted an Iftar-dinner for them on Wednesday. Altaf said that the situation required a national think-tank comprising senior journalists and intellectuals to review the South Asia situation and suggest a solution for emerging from this crisis.

He said that Pakistan was completely isolated due to the wrong policies in the region and pointed out that Iran, India, and Afghanistan were against Pakistan while the lone supper power was also supporting India.

He said that nobody was punished who involved in East Pakistan debacle while the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report confirmed their involvement as the cause of the national tragedy. However, he said, politicians were not only punished but the elected governments were dismissed and assemblies were dissolved whenever the military rulers wanted. The chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement urged the journalists to point out the mistakes committed by the rulers. He said that people must identify those responsible for the American and allied forces' attacks and killing of innocent Afghans, creating the Taliban, providing them weapons, and sending them to Afghanistan to fight, and now leaving them high and dry Party leaders Aftab Shaikh, Nasreen Jalil, Shaikh Liaquat Hussain, Dr Farooq Sattar, Khalid Bin Walid and others were also present on the occasion.

Govt urged to develop public consensus

By Our Staff Reporter
The DAWN
November 29, 2001
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KARACHI, Nov 28: The chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf Hussain, has urged the rulers to develop a general consensus in the country to cope with the situation emerging in Afghanistan.

Speaking at an Iftar party arranged for journalists by his party on Wednesday at Karachi Press Club, Mr Hussain said that Pakistan had been isolated in the region and it was high time to think how the country could be saved. He observed that it were the government's single-handed decisions that put the country in hot water.

The super power, America, is now tilted towards India and even its changed stances on Kashmir are not favourable for Pakistan, he said, adding that "Now we will have to think how Pakistan could be saved and its solidarity could be kept intact."

He expressed the view that what the government did after Sept 11 attacks in the USA could not be termed as measures taken after any consensus. All meetings with politicians, religious leaders, writers and editors, were just formalities, while all the decisions had been taken by one person or a limited group of individuals, he maintained.

He said the US took about one month to prepare ground before attacking Afghanistan, but what Pakistan did in this regard was a couple of meetings and media activities on the state television. He said that even now the government could have a meaningful dialogue and exchange of ideas with various groups of peoples, politicians, experts, analysts and senior journalists to evolve a strategy and overcome the crisis.

He said political parties, groups of intellectuals and analysts could be blamed for certain biases at times for giving priority to their party or personal interests, but when it came to nationalism and security of the country they were always positive. He suggested to the government to listen to people from all walks of life and then devise any formula for pulling the country out of the dangers.

To a question, he said that he wanted to come to Pakistan and serve the country, but it was the coordination committee of his party that resisted the idea in the given conditions in the country. He said that he did not see any harm in visiting India after the visit of Benazir Bhutto.

The Muttahida chief said that he had received invitations to visit India and if he undertook the visit he would try to present his views on various issues, including Kashmir, before the Indian people as a politician. Both India and Pakistan have spent a lot of time on fighting over different issues, which ultimately caused recession in the process of development and economic upliftment in the two countries, he added and stressed for meaningful, serious and peaceful dialogues between the two countries.

The Daily Jang Newspaper