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Crackdown on MQM
The week began with chaos in Karachi when angry workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement broke into the office of ARY news channel, tortured the staff and destroyed the equipment. The video footage showed armed attackers breaking the furniture and computers while misbehaving with the staff.
The demonstrators reportedly blocked roads, pelted stoned at the building of the news channel and resorted to aerial firing. Chaos – which left a person dead and seven others injured – erupted after the speech of MQM founder Altaf Hussain, who protested lack of coverage by the media and asked his workers to attack media houses.
A strong lash back was seen from the citizens when the video of Altaf Hussain’s speech went viral online in which he not only raised slogans against Pakistan but also called the country “a cancer for [the] entire world”. Later MQM chief apologised to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and Rangers Director General (DG) Maj-Gen Bilal Akber for his speech against Pakistan citing mental stress as a reason for such comments.
The next day Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar, during a press conference, distanced the MQM from the anti-Pakistan speech made by its chief Altaf Hussain on Monday and announced that all decisions of the party would be made by the Rabita Committee in Pakistan now. Moreover the posters and banners of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain were removed from Karachi, Hyderabad and other major cities of Sind. According to media reports law enforcement agencies and provincial authorities had made a decision to demolish all MQM offices built on amenity plots, government lands and footpaths.
Opposition against PM
After the deadlock between the government and opposition over compilation of Terms of References (ToRs) for inquiring tax evasion and illegal money transfers, Jamat-e-Islami (JI) has approached Supreme Court for taking cognizance related to Panama Leaks. Emir JI Sirajul Haq moved a petition in Supreme Court of Pakistan requesting it to issue directions for initiation of inquiry and arrest of culprits. The opposition has a stance that politicians, particularly the PM and his family and other government entities established offshore companies by illegally transferring public money from Pakistan, drawn from corruption.
Earlier the joint opposition had demanded National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to guarantee that the centre would show flexibility on the terms of references (ToRs) proposed by the opposition before they joined the committee. Pakistan Peoples Party’s senior leader Aitzaz, who is jointly representing the opposition, had opined that the government did not pay attention to the recommendations of the opposition, adding that the government wanted to save the prime minister and his family.
Amidst the announcements from opposition of holding country wide rallies and starting a movement against the government, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is looking for support from the masses. Addressing a gathering he asked people to learn to differentiate between politics of progress and the antics being staged on containers. He has asked the people to support the government in materialising mega projects aimed at progress and prosperity in Pakistan and reject the politics, which created anarchy and lawlessness.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already directed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his family to respond by September 6 to the allegations made by members of the opposition in disqualification references filed against him.
Pak- India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under immense pressure over weeks of deadly violence in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), with opposition leaders calling on him to control the situation. Opposition delegates led by former Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah singled out security forces’ firing of shotguns and demanded an immediate ban on pallet guns that are causing serious eye and other injuries to Kashmiri youth. More than 70 civilians have been killed in clashes between protesters and police, while thousands more injured.
Meanwhile India has formally rejected Pakistan’s proposal to hold talks on the issue of Kashmir and said it will only discuss the issue of terrorism and alleged infiltration of militants. India’s Secretary for External Affairs SJ Shankar wrote a letter to Islamabad, in which it was mentioned that “India would not hold dialogue with Pakistan over Kashmir issue”. Earlier this month, the foreign affairs secretary wrote a letter to his Indian counterpart Shankar, inviting him to visit Islamabad to hold bilateral talks on the disputed territory.
According to Pakistan Foreign Office, the letter written by Pakistan had highlighted the obligation of both countries to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council. Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan was constantly making efforts to find a solution for the Jammu and Kashmir issue and regretted that the dialogue process since last two decades could not make any headway.
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