LAHORE - Orders for assassinating those disobeying Altaf Hussain and making efforts to create a new MQM have been “sanctioned” by the London command, The Nation has learnt.
Some MQM-Pakistan leaders who are opposing Altaf disclosed yesterday that they and others like them were under serious threat from the death squads of London command, as orders have been sanctioned to eliminate them.
Calling themselves to be part of the ‘real group opposing Altaf’, they said that a number of party parliamentarians, coordination committee members and other party leaders are trying hard to create a new MQM totally independent of Altaf Hussain.
“Presently, we enjoy the support of more than nine parliamentarians who will be with us whenever we decide to go public,” they disclosed.
“Our own lives and that of our families are in danger but we will surface soon. Some of our colleagues are out of the country and waiting for the dust to settle in MQM ranks,” they added.
When asked about their likeminded members abroad, they said they include Sindh Assembly MPAs, MNAs and Senators, besides some members of London command.
Hit men have already reached Pakistan from South Africa, Malaysia and Thailand and waiting for an opportunity to target key figures challenging Altaf Hussain, they claimed.
Asked about how they got the information regarding the assassins, they said that their sympathisers at London command tipped them off.
They appealed to country’s key security agencies to monitor the security arrangements of MQM Pakistan leaders.
“We are not in a position to reveal ourselves at this stage as each member of MQM Pakistan suspects his/her colleague of being an informer of the London command,” they said.
On September 21, MQM Convener Nadeem Nusrat told his colleagues in a message from London that the coordination committee (Rabta committee) and all other organisational party offices have been dissolved for reorganising the party.
“I have been assigned the task of reorganising the party by the party Quaid (Altaf Hussain),” he told the MQM Pakistan leaders, adding, “MQM London and Pakistan is a single entity.”
“All the MPs of the MQM who took votes in the name of founding party leaders should resign and seek fresh mandate. The MPs who refuse to resign, party cadres (must) disassociate themselves from such parliamentarians,” Nadeem Nusrat directed while concluding his statement from London.
MQM Pakistan leader Dr Farooq Sattar in a seemingly counter-move asked all the parliamentarians not to resign as the London command no more has any authority on them. He also said coordination committee and all other organisational offices of the party would remain operational.
Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that MQM Pakistan parliamentarians got the mandate from those who said “Long Live Pakistan” and “We will not resign on someone’s wish or for his (personal) satisfaction”.
Contacts in London office confirmed this paper that the threat is real and the dissidents of party supremo Altaf “Bhai” are in trouble. “We have warned our colleagues in Pakistan to be careful.”
A couple of days ago party’s silent dissident quarters told this paper that MQM Pakistan top leaders were still in contact with the London command and they were using low-profile party leaders as messengers in order to dodge intelligence agencies.
No top leader of MQM Pakistan uses his personal cell phone or landline to communicate with Altaf Hussain or other key members at London office, they added.
Many actions of MQM Pakistan top leaders with regard to London command are just a ploy to befool the local populace as well as the security and political establishment so as to remain in power, the dissident quarters claimed.