Addressing a press conference at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat, member of the Co-ordination Committee MNA Dr Farooq Sattar said that threats were constantly being given to MQM Founder and Leader Mr Altaf Hussain in London by the banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Members of the Co-ordination Committee and elected representatives of the MQM were also getting threatening phone calls, letters and messages to give up the political views about Taliban.
Dr Sattar said that the latest threat of an attack at the MQM headquarters Nine Zero was received on 15th September. The details of all threatening letters were given to the federal and provincial governments and it was expected that they would take some action but it seems that no notice has been taken of the situation at any level.
Dr Sattar said, “The Taliban wants the MQM to give up its determination to transform Pakistan according to the ideals of the Quaid-i-Azam because they want to make Pakistan a backward and extremist country sponsoring terrorism.”
“The threatening letters warn the MQM to stop from propagating its views about Taliban and help the families of Taliban Mujahidin who were living in straitened circumstances in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi.”
Dr Sattar said the threats have been given to Deputy Convener of the Co-ordination Committee Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and members Babar Ghouri and Rasheed Godial besides others.
Dr Sattar said that the higher authorities were informed about the details of threatening letters, phones calls and messages by writing letters to them. A letter was written to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 18th September 2014 with which copies of all threatening letters and details of messages and phone calls were attached.
Dr Sattar said the MQM has been warned in these letters to pay extortion money ranging from 5 to 25 lacks. It has been said to hand over the money to the office-bearers of Taliban whose mobile numbers are mentioned in the letter. If the money is not arranged within one week the family members will face dire consequences.
Dr Sattar said, it has been made obvious in these letters that the punishment for taking help of a security agency would be death and Nine Zero and your homes would be converted into ruins. It has been said in these letters that all family members and relatives are on the hit list.
Dr Sattar said that the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah was formally informed about the inadequate security arrangement at MQM offices and the protection given to MQM leaders. He said the MQM had made some security arrangement at Nine Zero on its own but the administration must also fulfil its responsibility in this regard.
