Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister, Suhail Anwar Khan Siyal, on Tuesday said that if center allows Sindh will hang the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s founder Altaf Hussain, who, according to Siyal, deserves a fate like that of the Indian spy.
“Altaf Hussain is a traitor like detained Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and should be handed a death sentence as well,” Siyal said while addressing a ceremony in Karachi, where he further disclosed that Sindh Government has requested center to close cellular services on tenth of Moharam.
Home Minister informed that the provincial government of Pakistan People’s Party has already written to the federal government, asking it to issue red warrants for Hussain. “It is now the responsibility of the federal government to issue the red warrants,” he said.
Siyal, who is considered as a front man of influential lady, Faryal Talpur, said this when he was encountered with a question regarding threats from sister of Asif Ali Zardari to electorates.
A reporter asked if the PPP, especially Faryal Talpur, has resorted to the threatening tactics of MQM, Siyal said the MQM supremo was like Indian spy and such analogy of equating him with PPP leaders should not be made.
Siyal also criticized former President Pervez Musharraf and former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza for leveling murder accusations against former President Asif Ali Zardari.
“Why did Pervez Musharraf do nothing against Asif Zardari when he was the president?” Siyal asked. “Zulfiqar Mirza was the Sindh home minister [at the time]. Why did he not speak then?”
The PPP leader said the provincial government has requested the federal government to suspend cell phone services on the 9th and 10th of Muharram.
He said his government has approached the interior ministry to suspend mobile phone services in major cities across the province on 9th and 10th Muharram.
The home minister is awaiting a decision by the interior ministry on suspension of mobile phone services in major cities including Karachi, as part of security arrangements for Ashura, which will be observed on Sunday.
Media will be notified as soon as a decision is made by the interior ministry in this regard, he said.
Meanwhile, the Sindh home minister has issued directives to police to ensure deployment of heavy force under Muharram Contingency Plan 2017 in order to ensure extraordinary security measures in the province.
According to the Muharram contingency plan, police is ensuring strict security cover at over 1,520 Imambargahs, 12,700 Majalis, 4,150 mourning processions and 1,400 Tazia processions in the province. Electronic and visual surveillance and use of sniffer dogs for explosives detection and sweeping of routes and venues will be carried out by Bomb Disposal Unit, especially at under-construction buildings.
On August 22, 2016, the MQM founder made incendiary speech against the state institutions, leading to attacks by party workers on the offices of different television channels. The speech had also led to a division in the party, followed by formation of MQM-Pakistan, which is led by Farooq Sattar and MQM-London.
