The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has announced to start countrywide protest over ban imposed on MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain for print and electronic media. Under the ban, both the electronic and print media have been restricted to carry any statement, speech, photograph or video live coverage of Altaf Hussain. The MQM rejects ban on Hussain and would now commence protest that would start from Karachi and would be continued in whole of the country.
MQM MNA Kunwar Naveed Jamil disclosed this at a press conference at Khursheed Begum Secretariat on Saturday. He was flanked by members co-ordination committee Rehana Nasreen, advocate Arif Khan, advocate Muhammad Hussain, Zahid Mansoori, Aslam Khan Afridi and Abdul Qadir Khanzada.
In this protest campaign, the MQM would on Sunday, (January 24) stage a protest procession in front of mausoleum of founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The second biggest protest procession would be held in Hyderabad and in other cities of Sindh on January 29, 2016, which would be followed by protest campaigns across the country on January 30, 2016. Jamil said it has been five months since the ban was imposed but the authorities concerned have not yet decided about the ban as whether it would now be lifted or not.
He said Hussain has first informed the nation about the fast approaching danger of Da'esh in Pakistan as he had done about Taliban. The people want to hear Hussain.He said it is an irony that enemies of Pakistan and leaders of the banned extremist and terrorist organisations have been freely speaking publicly and the country is worst affected with terrorism. MNA Kunwar Naveed Jamil said that any citizen in any civilised society has the right to criticise the national institutions because the weaknesses of institutions are removed and improvements are brought in light of citizens' criticism. Contrary to established norms of civilised democratic societies, it happens in Pakistan that rather than overcoming the weaknesses and bringing improvements, the voices of the citizens are oppressed of which one example is of MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain, who has been placed under ban to speak. He said it is true that Hussain had demanded for military action against criminals and terrorists but that would not mean that the constitution might be neglected and violated, human rights be violated and bodies of workers of the MQM were thrown on streets after killing them extra-judicially.
Hussain had protested on these violations of human rights and constitution for which the ban was imposed on him and the media has been restricted to publish any news, photo or give live coverage to him, said Jamil. He said the Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz is openly inviting the ISIS in Pakistan while leaders of banned extremist groups are inciting the people against the Pak Army but country's federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz could not be arrested because there was no case registered against him. On the other hand, the MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain is facing a character assassination on media.
He said the country is facing criticism internationally due to wrong policies of the government and the Establishment and the image of the country is being tarnished. Speaking on the occasion, co-ordination committee member advocate Muhammad Hussain said that each citizen of Pakistan has the constitutional right of freedom of speech under article 19 of the constitution.
He said the people have trust in Altaf Hussain and the ban on him is tantamount to oppressing the right of the freedom of speech of the masses.While responding to a question, he said it is the democratic right of the MQM to protest over injustices because the ban on Hussain is unconstitutional. He demanded the federal government to discard double standard so that the county should progress. He also appealed to the higher court to dismiss ban on Hussain.