Altaf slams govt for threatening Jang Group
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain on Friday said that after the proof of threats by Senator Saifur Rehman and Information Minister Mushahid Hussain to the Jang Group of Newspapers, the PML government had no moral ground to stay in power even for a single day.
In a statement faxed from London, Altaf said the cassette of conversation of Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group of Newspapers Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman with Saif and Mushahid was ample proof of how the Nawaz regime was using the state machinery to crush its opponents.
The MQM chief said with the playing of that cassette, the mala fide intention of the government against the freedom of the press was proved as well as the MQM's view about the government was endorsed. "Now there is no doubt that Nawaz is trying to eliminate all institutions and the pillars of the state to establish his dictatorship over the country," he added.
Altaf said it was strange that President Rafiq Tarar was still unmoved, despite all negative moves of the Nawaz government. He asked whether the country's integrity and national interests were less important in the eyes of the president than the friendship with the ruling family.
The MQM chief assured Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and the staff of the Jang Group of his full cooperation in the prevailing crisis. He also appealed to all patriotic forces to get united against the Nawaz government to save the country.
Meanwhile, the MQM Coordination Committee condemned the harassment of daily Amn staff by the police and appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Ajmal Mian to take suo moto action against those responsible for sieging the newspaper's office and harassing its staff.