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FIVE QUESTIONS OF DR IMRAN FAROOQ TO THE LEADERS OF OPPOSITION ON THE ARREST OF JAVED HASHMI
London – 1st
November 2003
In a party policy statement issued today, the MQM Convenor Dr Imran
Farooq put forward five questions, in relation to the arrest of Leader of Muslim
League Nawaz Group Javed Hashmi, to the opposition parties of the country and
stressed for reply to each and every question for the nation. The questions put
forward are:
Dr Imran Farooq said that the present opposition and its leaders will not reply to these questions. However, if their conscience has awakened and they are tired of hypocrisy then they must respond. He said that after receiving these replies he then with advice of his companions would raise further questions.
He said, “if for the first question the opposition leaders would reply that they not only consider it legitimate to criticise on the army and the army chief but also do not consider it as anti-State, being Indian agent or treachery then I would like to ask why the MQM’s criticism on the army and its chief Late General Asif Nawaz was considered anti-State or being Indian Agent?” He said that today they are organising a protest against the arrest of Javed Hashmi but why such a protest was not staged against the Army Operation upon the pioneers of Pakistan and their descendants? Thousands of MQM leaders, workers and supporters were arrested in false and fabricated cases and hundreds of its leaders, elected representatives, workers and supporters were murdered. When the MQM Leader Mr Altaf Hussain condemned this oppressive Army Operation and termed it as illegitimate act of ruthlessness and brutality – then why the same leaders of opposition branded Mr Hussain as the enemy of army, Indian agent and anti-State? During the Army Operation when Brigadier Asif Haroon levelled a baseless, false and concocted allegation of Jinnahpur against the MQM, then without verifying these leaders of the opposition not only issued statements in support of army’s allegation but also branded the MQM and Mr Altaf Hussain as anti-State.
Dr Imran Farooq said that what will be the response of the leaders of the opposition on his second question because since 1958 the army has repeatedly dislodged the civil government and ruled the country but these leaders of the opposition never criticised or protested against the army or its chief as is being done today over the arrest of Javed Hashmi. Why such protests were not organised on the arrest of Nawaz Sharif and his expulsion from the country? Why such demonstrations were not organised during the military government of General Zia-ul Haque when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested and hanged? Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, was not arrested by any military government – after so many years he is still imprisoned – why the present leaders of the opposition have not organised a protest demonstration against his detention in such a manner as they are protesting today over the arrest of Javed Hashmi?
Dr Imran Farooq said that in reply to his third question will the leaders of united opposition consider the act of army and its chief to abolish the civil government and establish military rule to be legitimate or not. If not, then why in the past they did not protest against the abolition of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s and Nawaz Sharif’s Governments as they are organising today against the arrest of Javed Hashmi?
Dr Imran Farooq said that how the opposition leaders will respond to his fourth question that why no protest demonstration was organised against the illegitimate steps of army committed against the country’s Bengali Muslims, Baluch Muslims, Sindhi Muslims and the Mohajirs, who migrated to Pakistan – murdering hundreds of thousands of Muslim men, women and innocent children? Why the leaders of the united opposition did not organise protests against such oppression and repression as they are doing today over the arrest of a single person Javed Hashmi?
Dr Imran Farooq further said that what will the leaders of the united opposition reply to his fifth question – that the establishment of military government, imposition of martial law and the army chief ruling the country in uniform is not right – then why no other military government, martial law and rule of army chief in uniform was not opposed during previous military regimes in such a manner as being done today against the uniformed President General Pervez Musharraf – and boycotting the national assembly for the past one year? Whereas the same leaders of the opposition, during the General Zia-ul Haque’s Martial Law and his Government, considered the army uniform as the uniform of a beauty contest, highly praised the uniform, embraced it and became part of the “coterie”. Do they dislike the uniform of General Pervez Musharraf because it is not as beautiful as that of General Zia-ul Haque – is it for this reason that they are howling LFO-LFO and demanding for the 1973 Constitution, which contains the name of their patron, companion and in short General Zia-ul Haque even today.
Dr Imran Farooq said that MQM demands of the Government to carry out impartial and fair investigation over the allegations levelled against Javed Hashmi and provide him with an opportunity to exercise his right to defend without any fear in accordance with the law. He said that he will eagerly wait for reply from leaders of the opposition to the questions raised.