LAHORE - The government will continue to pursue legal action against MQM chief Altaf Hussain for his tirade against the army though the latter withdrew its motion against the PTI members of the Parliament on the request of the ruling PML-N.
There is no question of giving up legal action against Altaf Hussain for the reason that MQM has withdrawn its motion, said highly placed sources in the government.
They say Hussain’s statement against the armed forces and sovereignty of the state during his telephonic address to the MQM supporters in Karachi last Saturday is a matter separate from withdrawal of the motion. What Altaf said is a very serious thing which cannot be overlooked, they said and added the government will go ahead with its decision to take action under the law against him for his allegedly malicious remarks. “No question of bowing down to the situation after the MQM has taken back the motion to deseat PTI legislators,” they added.
On Sunday last, Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan told media persons about the decision to explore every means of local and international law for taking action against Altaf Hussain who, the minister alleged, vilified the defence institution, sought Indian interference for safety of his party workers and incited his supporters against the state. He clearly mentioned about moving a reference to the British government for action against Altaf Hussain.
On the other hand, Special Assistant to Prime Minster for Law Ashtar Ausaf Ali had said that his department was studying the option of both local and English law against Altaf. Ashtar said the hate speech of Altaf was liable to punishment under the high treason law in the light of Article 6 of the Constitution. The law prescribes minimum life and maximum death as punishment.
The MQM motion aimed at seeking ouster of the PTI MNAs on the ground they were hit by Article 64 of the Constitution which deseats a member if he remains absent from the assembly for consecutive 40 days. The PTI did not attend the assembly for seven months from August 2014 to March 2015 while staging the sit-in.
On the latest development, Ashtar Ausaf Ali who is also chief legal adviser of the government told this scribe that decision to act against Altaf Hussain was still unchanged. He said the MQM’s letter to India for stepping in to save the party men from the Rangers in Karachi has aggravated the nature of the offence against the leaders of this party.
Answering a question, he said the matter of writing a letter to the enemy state for interference is a direct challenge to sovereignty and respect of the country. This act, he said, prima facie relates to sedition in terms of sections 121, 122, 123 and 124 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). For the purpose of collecting evidence and materials, the matter is with the relevant ministries and his department is waiting their nod, he said. Ashtar pointed out that disclosure of the letter by the MQM can also invoke provision of disqualification under Article 63 of the Constitution if parliamentarians of this party are also found involved in it.
To a question whether anyone else can again move such a motion against PTI MNAs, he said the matter of their ouster is over.