MQM rejects SSP Malir’s allegations as 'baseless'

KARACHI (Web Desk) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Thursday rejected the allegations brought against the party by SSP Malir Rao Anwar as "baseless".

MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi, while addressing a news conference at party headquarters Nine-Zero, branded the allegations as “horrendous” and “a pack of lies”, and remarked, "It seems as if a corrupt police official will now issue certificates of patriotism and integrity."

"There is no veracity in his accusations whatsoever. These are not new. Similar charges have been levelled against the Muttahida before. I would reject his allegations 1,94,272 times.”

SSP Malir Anwar had, earlier in the day, told the media that the two terror suspects arrested Wednesday night were affiliated with MQM and had been trained by Indian spy agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing).

Describing the new charges as part of a pre-meditated plan directed towards the country's third largest party, Haider Rizvi wondered how an SP-rank official could demand a ban on MQM by hurling baseless charges.

MQM's image is being tarnished through mud-slinging, he deplored as he criticized the prime minister, president and others at the helm for keeping mum over the "game" fielded against them.

Rizvi questioned the agenda behind Wednesday’s meeting at the Sindh Chief Minister’s House, but did not go into details and left things for journalists to explore.

About the arrest of the two party activists Tahir Rehman and Junaid, he said Rehman was arrested on February 26, 2015, and not on Wednesday (April 29) as detailed in police record. His wife had lodged a habeas corpus petition with the Sindh High Court on February 27 against his "unlawful" arrest. A similar petition was moved by Junaid’s wife on March 28 after his arrest on March 24.

Rizvi said MQM's victory in the NA-246 by-poll and local government elections in the cantonment boards have re-validated its mandate.

According to him, the scenarios started to change the time his party decided to sit in opposition and opted to elect its own opposition leader in the House.

“When MQM was being blamed for everything and a media trial of the party was going on, it still managed to grab a substantial victory in the constituency of NA-246,” affirmed Rizvi, who was flanked by top MQM leader Farooq Sattar and others.

In a media conversation, MQM leader Farooq Sattar said SSP Malir Rao Anwar’s varied statements regarding the arrest of MQM activists before media exposed it all. “It was all scripted. There’s someone else in the background.”

On the other hand, banned People’s Peace Committee leader Aziz Baloch told a local media outlet that the PPP leadership had already hinted at an operation against MQM.