LONDON: Both the London Metropolitan Police and UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson have confirmed receiving “floods” of complaints against Altaf Hussain, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader, and the police say that an investigation was under way.The Metropolitan Police sources have confirmed thousands of calls from Pakistanis over Altaf Hussain’s remarks in relation to Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s sit-in at the Teen Talwar Chowk in Karachi, the alleged incitement of violence against protesters and threats to break up Pakistan.
The MQM has said that its leader’s words have been taken out of context by the party’s opponents but the unprecedented backlash continued over these remarks as calls and emails continued to come in from Britain, Pakistan and other countries, forcing the Metropolitan Police to issue a message to the callers not to use “Metropolitan Police’s international number for repeated reports of the same issue”.
Speaking to The News, a police spokesman confirmed that the police were being contacted and that an investigation was under way against Altaf Hussain.
“Under British laws promoting hatred and violence is liableto punishment and Altaf Hussain’s statements must be taken seriously,” Thomson said, adding that London police were independent to investigate the complaints and were under no pressure from the UK government.
This is for the first time that such a campaign has been initiated and it is believed that Imran Khan’s supporters, heavily active on social media and public forums, are behind this campaign after the tiff between the MQM and PTI started in Karachi over alleged vote-rigging in NA 250, forcing Altaf Hussain to intervene.
The reaction by Imran Khan’s supporters, educated, well-heeled and adept at using modern tools, may come as a big surprise to the MQM and is bound to make the MQM leadership rethink whether it’s advisable to get involved in such controversies and drag the party into of needless disputes.
Courtesy: The News
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