Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Husain has said that he is against Martial Law and that he will oppose it in case it is imposed.
In an exclusive interview to senior Journalist Sohail Waraich in London, Altaf Hussain said selective accountability messed things up in Pakistan and that it would be wrong to target only President Zardari.
He called for formation of a government jointly by honest people and professionals, adding that people should rise for bringing about a revolution.
The MQM Chief’s recently issued a controversial statement in which he called upon ‘patriotic generals’ of Army to act against ‘corrupt politicians’ created a stir across the country, leading to fiery debates among politicians, analysts and representatives of civil society.
Altaf Husain, who has been in self-imposed exile in London for about the past 18 years, said he had been struggling for the cause of democracy for the past 32 years and that he had never supported a military rule or any undemocratic process.
He said he had always criticized any direct or indirect intervention/participation of the Army and ISI in the politics of the country.
“Nowhere during my entire speech had I mentioned imposition of Martial Law,” Altaf Hussain clarified, adding, he had only asked ‘patriotic generals’ to change the fate of the country by undertaking ‘Martial Law-like’ steps.
He said he would never retract from what he said and that he is not a coward.
MQM, he said, is a democratic party, ‘so how could it ever invite Martial Law in the country?’ MQM will always oppose imposition of Martial Law, he added.
Altaf Hussain noted that imposition of Martial Law had only led things from bad to worse. It was Martial Law regime that led to the dismemberment of the country and later a similar set up put Balochistan on the path of deterioration.
The exclusive interview can be watched on Geo News at 10:05 PM Saturday (August 28).
