ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan warned the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday against “politics of threats,” saying there is no gain for the government by not issuing Altaf Hussain his National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), DawnNews reported.
Speaking at a press conference here, he said the matter has been blown out of proportion deliberately. “We spoke with Governor Sindh (Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan) and Haider Abbas Rizvi … but the issue was made more complicated instead and threats were hurled,” said the minister.
He said the MQM chief would have to follow the proper procedure for getting his identity card, which Nisar claimed he had not applied for last 22 years – the time period Altaf Hussain has spent in a self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.
“I am not Najam Sethi (Pakistan’s cricket chief) who can’t appoint captain of the team and can’t dismiss anyone,” he said.
About targeted operation in Karachi, Chaudhry Nisar said the action would enter into a meaningful and effective phase in days ahead.
Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement staged a protest demonstration outside the Nadra office located at Karsaz in Karachi. A large number of people attended the rally holding placards and chanting slogans against the interior ministry.
Legal notices have also been served through MQM's Barrister Farogh Nasim to the interior ministry, Pakistan High Commission in London, Nadra and other concerned departments over the issue.
MQM and its chief Altaf Hussain have alleged that the interior ministry and Nadra were playing delay tactics through ‘lame excuses’ in issuing Husain his NICOP which he applied for at the Pakistani High Commission in London more than a month ago.
The party has warned of launching country-wide protests in case the interior ministry fails to issue the NICOP to its chief immediately.
In a statement issued on Friday, MQM’s Rabita (coordination) Committee said that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had made the issue a matter of ego for himself and now he was creating hurdles.
“Firstly interior ministry made the excuse that they had no record of Altaf Hussain’s NICOP application and then the ministry’s spokesman said that legal formalities were not fulfilled by the MQM chief,” said the committee.
They added that when the MQM presented all evidence in front of the nation, State Minister for Interior Baleeghur Rehman then said that Nadra had lost the record of the application.
The statement further said that when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was contacted over the issue, he directed Chaudry Nisar to resolve the matter immediately but Nisar came up with another excuse saying Altaf Hussin’s picture in Nadra record was improper.
“Thousands of Altaf Husain’s supporters are agitated over the response of the interior minister and if the NICOP is not immediately issued to the MQM chief, then people will be forced to stage country-wide protests,” it said.
The party again demanded of President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take notice of the situation.