MQM leaders lash out at BBC documentary saying it aims at tarnishing image of Altaf Hussain and MQM
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Posted on: 1/30/2014
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Terming BBC's documentary film `ill-founded', Muttahida Qaumi Movement Coordinaton Committee's Deputy Convener, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, said here on Thursday that a media trial was being carried out to tarnish the image of the Movement's leader Altaf Hussain and MQM at international level.
"The BBC's biased attitutude can be gauged from the fact that it neither incorporated the answers raised against MQM in the documentary nor bothered to carry the explanation given by MQM Senator Barrister Farogh Naseem to the BBC anchorperson although the latter himself has appreciated such replies," he remarked.
He was speaking at a crowded press conference along with MQM Coordination Committee's Deputy Convener, Engineer Nasir Jamal and the Committee's Members, Dr Muhammad Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jalil, Amin-ul-Haque, Khalid Sultan, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Ashfaq Mangi, Aslam Afridi, Saif Yar Khan, Adil Khan, Shakir Ali, Waseem Akhtar and MQM's Senator Barrister Farogh Naseem at Azizabad's Khursheed Begum Secretariat.
He said that at a time when Pakistan was passing through a critical juncture and the MQM was expected to play its vital role for the country's solidarity and survival as well as its political and democratic struggle for bringing prosperity in the country, a situation was being created so as to keep MQM away from playing its role with full vigour and capability.
Pointing out that it was the second BBC documentary, Dr Siddiqui said that the BBC by presenting its fabricated and ill-founded documentaries had badly hurt the sentiments and feelings of millions of Pakistanis who immensely love Altaf Hussain.
He said that millions of people of Pakistan would soon prove their solidarity with Altaf Hussain and the world would know that they are with Mr Hussain.
Dr Siddiqui said that it was from the day one that conspiracies were hatched against MQM and now hindrances were now being created against it internationally.
He said fairness of the BBC documentary could be gauged from the fact that it has been alleged in the documentary that there were 30 murder cases against Mr Hussain, but failed to mention that Mr Hussain had already beeen honourably acquited in all such bogus murder cases.
He said that misunderstanding was being created vis-a-vis murder of MQM's former Convener, Shaheed-i-Inquilab, Dr Imran Farooq, and the investigations under way in this regard by saying that two persons have been arrested in Karachi while police was not confirming it. The question here arises that why such claims were being made, asked Dr Siddiqui.
He said that it was the reposibility of British government to arrest the culprits involved in the murder of Dr Imran Farooq and give them punishment.
With regard to the two persons who are being named in the Imran Farooq's murder cases, Dr Siddiqui vehemently denied that the two persons have any link with the MQM, besides MQM did not even know any Atif Siddiqui through whose help those two persons had reportedly got visa.
He also questioned that why the British authorities and police allowed those two persons to leave Britain if they were allegedly involved in the murder of Dr Farooq.
He said that British police took away Altaf Hussain's coins and Baby Afza's laptop although such things had nothing to do with the case.
Vowing that Altaf Hussain would never bow his head before any such force which would like to keep him away from his principled stand, he said that we used to think that lives and property were protected in Britain but when MQM's Convener Dr Imran Farooq could be killed there so our fears concerning Altaf Hussain were also cent per cent true.
Speaking on the occasion, MQM Coordination Committee's Member and MQM's leader of parliament in National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar said that a situation was being created nationally and international to stop MQM from playing its traditional role of steering the country out of its challenges and crises.
Referring to the BBC documentary, he said that the motive behind such a documentary was to malign Altaf Hussain and the MQM and the baseless accusations levelled in the documentary amounted to a medial trial of Altaf Hussain and the MQM.
He said that MQM firmly believed in the freedom of media but there was a vast difference between the media freedom and the media trial.
Dr Sattar said that MQM is only accused in the case and MQM has not been nominated in any such case and, as such, the BBC's documentary has been made to influence the British court.
He said that it was ironic that British citizens rights were being usurped in the Britain where high traditions and human rights values existed.
"We are not condemning British Broadcatsting Corporation but also rejecting its documentary," he said, adding that it was beyond one's comprehension that why money laundering issue was being raised now whereas no question was being asked about those influential Pakistanis whose assets are in Britain and their money was there in Britains bank without any business.
"Why MQM was being pushed towards wall," he qeuried.
Senator Farogh Naseem on this occasion told newsmen that his replies concerning money laundering were deleted from the documentary, besides the BBC's documentary was based on mere speculations.
About Iftikhar Hussain, he said that he (Mr Iftikhar Hussain) was subjected to severe torture in 1990 and anyone meeting him could imagine his condition.
At the outset, he said that MQM minus Altaf formula could be a dream but it cannot be reality because there is a difference between the facts and a fiction film.
Accusing opponents of MQM of using BBC and providing misleading information to Metropolitan police, he said that the BBC's anchor person, Owen Bennett Jones' act of deliberately ommiting his replies from the documentary amounted to violation of freedom of expression.
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7/18/2024 10:08:45 PM
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