Pak registers treason case against MQM chief over inflammatory speech

A day after Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain described Pakistan as "a cancer for the entire world" and raised anti-Pakistan slogans, a treason case was registered against him in Karachi.

Sindh police chief A D Khawaja on Tuesday confirmed that a case of treason had been registered against the MQM supremo for his inflammatory speech to party workers outside the Karachi Press Club.

"Two cases have been registered against the MQM," the Express Tribune quoted Khawaja, as saying.

"One case pertains to treason for his anti-state speech to the participants of the hunger strike campaign setup by the party outside KPC and the other case pertains to the incident following his remarks which saw some media houses being attacked by MQM activists," he added.

Several party leaders who were present at the hunger strike camp, including senior leader Farooq Sattar, have also been nominated in the cases.

Khawaja said the decision to register cases against the MQM was taken during a high-level meeting of police officials in the metropolis.

Hussain has apologised to Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and Director General (DG) Rangers Major General Bilal Akber for his vitriolic speech.

MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil, shared the apology statement by Hussain on Twitter.

"From the depth of heart, I beg pardon from my remarks against Pakistan, the establishment including General Raheel Sharif and DG Rangers," Hussain said.

Parts of Hussain's speech that went viral on social media showed that while addressing MQM workers protesting outside the Karachi Press Club against "enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings", he raised anti- Pakistan slogans and also called the country "a cancer for [the] entire world".

Regretting the violence against media houses by the party workers aftermath his speech, he asked the authorities to release of MQM leaders who were arrested.

Media houses were ransacked by the MQM party workers on Monday evening after listening to his provocative speech before clashing with police, leaving at least one person dead and over half a dozen injured.

The MQM headquarters 'Nine Zero' were sealed and senior party leaders were taken into custody by Sindh Rangers for allegedly inciting violence in the metropolis.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had also contacted senior British officials and discussed Hussain's inflammatory speech which caused unrest in Karachi.

Reports suggest that Nisar has urged the British government to help initiate legal action against the MQM chief.