Daily Times

LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain apologised to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and Director General (DG) Rangers Major General Bilal Akber for his vitriolic speech in which he referred to Pakistan as ‘a cancer for entire world.’

He said in a statement on Tuesday, “From the depth of heart, I beg pardon from my remarks against Pakistan, the establishment including General Raheel and DG Rangers.” The statement was shared on Twitter by MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil.

“I was under severe mental stress over extra-judicial arrests and precarious condition of my workers sitting at the hunger strike camp,” the statement added. Parts of the 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”, Altaf not only raised slogans against Pakistan but also called the country a cancer for the entire world.

He further said in his statement, “Being a Pakistani, I assure the Pakistani people, establishment, army, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), all higher authorities and leaders that I will never use such words again.” He also urged the authorities to end all steps taken against MQM. “For God’s sake, don’t cut MQM from the national mainstream.”

He also regretted the violence against media houses that came in the aftermath of his speech and asked for the release of MQM leaders who were later arrested. MQM leader Syed Ali Raza Abidi had hinted in a Tweet that the people who resorted to violence were not party activists but had been “sent for a purpose”.

Two media houses were ransacked as activists chanting pro-MQM slogans went berserk on Monday evening after listening to a highly provocative speech of their London-based chief and resorted to a violent protest, firing and arson that left at least one person dead and a dozen others wounded.