Pakistan turns up heat on MQM chief Altaf Hussain for seeking India's help; to raise issue at NSA talks

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has upped the ante against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) supremo in exile Altaf Hussain after his last Saturday’s speech wherein he reportedly sought India’s “help” in Karachi and may include the issue in dossier that it plans to hand over to India during NSA level talks here end-August. Senior Pakistani Ministers and leaders of ruling party including Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, brother of the PM, reacted sharply to Hussain’s comments made last Saturday. This also comes in the backdrop of MQM’s recent letter to UN alleging atrocities against the party.

The UN deputy spokesman Farhanul Haq said the letter had been received and “we are studying it.” The MQM alleges in the letter that their workers are being mistreated during the current security operation being conducted in Karachi, and law-enforcement agencies are unlawfully detaining their activists.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday called Hussain’s statement tantamount to waging war against the country.