MQM leadership: Stay order sought on Altaf’s speeches

The judge advised Advocate Fayyaz Ahmed Mehr, the petitioner, to include PTA in the list of respondents for allowing Hussain’s speech to be broadcast live.

Mehr also filed a civil miscellaneous application for an interim stay order on Hussain’s speeches.

The petitioner had stated that Altaf Hussain was a foreigner who claimed to be MQM’s chief. He said on May 12, Hussain addressed the party’s workers and threatened the Election Commission of Pakistan, the establishment, the media and workers of other political parties. He said Hussain also demanded Karachi’s exclusion from Pakistan.

The petitioner called the speech part of ‘a conspiracy’ to destabilise the country.

He said under the Political Party Order 2002, only individuals or association of citizens of Pakistan were allowed to form, organise, continue or set up a political party. He said Altaf Hussain was not a Pakistani citizen and thus could not head a political party.

Mehr said under Section 5(1) of chapter II of Political Parties Order 2002, Hussain could not serve as an office bearer of a political party in Pakistan considering he was not eligible to be elected a member of the Parliament.

The petitioner said under Article 5 of the constitution, loyalty to the state was a basic duty of every citizen. He said Hussain’s speech was anti-state and amounted to treason. He said those working for him should also be punished in accordance with law.

Mehr prayed that Hussain be restrained from claiming to be MQM’s chief and that PEMRA should be directed to stop the media from reporting Hussain’s speeches. The petitioner also prayed the court to issue directions to the government to bring Husssain back to Pakistan so that he could be dealt with in accordance with law.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2013.