Karachi - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said Saturday he didn’t know Umair Siddiqui, the man Rangers claim had confessed to operating a group which target-killed 120 opponents of the party.
In interviews with different TV channels, he said the allegations being leveled against the MQM were similar to the ones made in 1992, when then army chief Gen Asif Nawaz Janjua had ordered the first operation against the ethnic entity.
“By God I don’t know who is Umair Siddiqui” said MQM chief.
To strengthen his claim, the self-exiled MQM leader, who is now a British national, called upon Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to make public the list of 72 people who were allegedly involved in heinous activities.
Those responsible for the 1992 operation had met the ‘humiliating death’ and those perpetrating atrocities would now face divine wrath, a furious Altaf Hussain said. “A dreadful end awaits them,” he claimed.
According to him, allegations were being leveled just to malign his party.
“Media trial of the MQM has been started at gunpoint in the same manner as it was done in 1992,” Altaf said.
According to Rangers report, Umair told investigators that he led a 23-member group which was involved in target killing of 120 people.
Altaf said the Rangers had taken the statement by torturing the accused.
Replying to a question, the MQM chief said the operation had been launched against his party as more and more people from Punjab, KP and Balochistan were gathering under its umbrella.
He said the military generals were the custodians of the status quo and they imposed martial law on various occasions to be able to rule the country.
In response to a question, the MQM chief said the trial of his party leaders and workers should be conducted in an open court so that everybody could listen to the statements made by them.
Asked if there was any possibility of the imposition of governor’s rule in Sindh, he said he was not in contact with the federal government. “We are being isolated”.
According to him, a group of generals wanted to fail Gen Raheel.
In response to a question, the MQM chief alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could not see the army leadership in the eye because his financial stakes were very high. He said since all parties had militant wings, there was no justification for the authorities to single out the MQM for operation. Altaf blamed the Rangers for turning a blind eye to terrorists in other parts of the city. He said Umair should be hanged if found guilty.
Earlier, Sindh Rangers released a confession statement of the MQM activist Umair Siddiqui making significant revelations during the investigation.
According to the report, Umair led a 23-member group which was involved in target killing of 120 people including the party opponents and MQM workers. The report further states that the suspect confessed to murdering Ranger`s Lance Naik Shauqat, former Senator Faisal Raza Abidi`s guard and nephew of MQM leader Amir Khan. Moreover the accused and his accomplice Rehman Bhola were involved in Baldia Town factory inferno which claimed lives of more than 250 people in 2012. Rejecting the allegations, Altaf said MQM always made efforts to maintain peace in the country but now it was being pushed to political isolation. Ranger’s officers were liars and they were trying to hide their failure by taking action against MQM, said Altaf.
He said he didn’t expelled Anis Qaim Khani and Hammad Siddiqui over their involvement in target killings but both were removed from party offices after the proofs of the land occupations cases. “Have Rangers arrested the killers of Shia and Christian communities?” he asked. “We are sorry for calling the army as we are now facing consequences of our deed,” said Altaf.
He said PPP-led Sindh government could not take action as per its will, adding, that Interior Minister Ch Nisar had got no courage. He further appealed to the democrats to come forward and bring the nation out from prevailing crisis.