'Telephoned Wasay Jalil at least four times'

KARACHI: Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM- P) leader Amir Khan on Tuesday revealed that he did not stay silent over Altaf Hussain’s 22 August anti-Pakistan speech, ARY News reported.

Speaking to ARY News anchor Waseem Badami,  the former MQM leader said that he telephoned his fellow party leader Wasay Jalil several times during the anti-state speech by party founder Altaf Hussain and asked him to stop the then MQM chief from issuing inflammatory statements.

Amir Khan and a number of other MQM leaders dissociated themselves from Altaf Hussain’s speech the very next day (August 23, 2016) and gradually formed their own faction of MQM under Farooq Sattar.

“I telephoned Wasay at least four times that day,” he said when asked by host Waseem Badami if he made any efforts to prevent the MQM founder from continuing the speech.

The incident occurred on August 22, 2016 when the MQM founder addressed party workers observing a hunger-strike outside the Karachi Press Club, and raised anti-state slogans and provoked workers to attack media organisations.

“However, Wasay replied that he was helpless and could not stop him (Altaf Hussain). I even telephoned Iftikhar,” claimed Amir Khan.

Amir Khan said that the statements of MQM founder differ from the ground realities and he is not a representative of the Muhajir or Urdu-speaking community.

He further added that although such issues were being raised earlier, he is strongly against raising such anti-state slogans.