Pakistan Views

Efforts are underway to obtain the freedom of former Lal Masjid chief Maulana Abdul Aziz, as several prominent politicians have conducted meetings with him recentlyThe latest was Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who visited Aziz on Tuesday. Shujaat also met with Aziz’s wife a few days ago. According to Online, the meeting between Shujaat and Aziz lasted for an hour, during which the PML-Q president exchanged views with the latter on several proposals for his release. Sources said that Shujaat wanted to secure Aziz’s release before elections. Shujaat said the meeting had nothing to do with the February 18 elections. He said a package for Aziz’s release would soon be evolved, adding that its implementation would be ensured. Last week, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman met the Lal Masjid cleric. Aziz’s relative Maulana Amir Siddique told a press conference after that meeting that his family hoped that Aziz would be released soon, the Daily Times reported.

Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Chairman Shujaat Hussain on Saturday acknowledged that the judicial crisis, Lal Masjid debacle, Akbar Bugti’s killing and energy crisis were the mistakes of his party-led government.

Addressing a press conference here at the party’s office along with Secretary General Mushahid Hussain, Dr Ghulam Arbab Rahim and others, he vowed that, in future, his party would not repeat the past mistakes. He also termed the return of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif a huge mistake committed by the PML (Q)-led government, and said that they had no political agenda other than doing politics out of the existing issues.

He alleged that the opposition political parties were raising the issues of the country’s safe nuclear programme, while nobody could dare to act against it. He said that he had a meeting with the Chief of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain in London, which was aimed to chalk out a joint strategy for averting the attempts of rigging in election.

He said he had urged Altaf for peaceful participation in election in Karachi and Hyderabad. He said that Arbab Rahim would again be Sindh Chief Minister in case Q-League emerged victorious in the forthcoming general elections scheduled for February 18.

About the controversial advertisement published in newspapers, Shujaat said his party had already sought an apology and it was a mistake. He said that some people, who were involved in pre-poll rigging, were accusing Q-League of it.

He dispelled the impression about rift between Shaukat Aziz and Pervaiz Elahi. On Kalabagh dam, he said that it had become a faded issue and had no place in PML’s political manifesto.

He said that there was no concept of ‘by birth’ chairmanship in his party and, rather, a democratic process determined the fate of party leadership. Mushahid said his London visit was aimed to dispel the wrong impression and propaganda on foreign visits of Pakistanis, not only the relatives of Shujaat. He added that the British government had sought formal apology from Shujaat.

Rahim said that PML-Q would appear as one-to-one competitor of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Sindh, while MQM would face the opposition parties in Karachi in the elections. He demanded reopening of the investigation of the attack on judiciary during Nawaz Sharif’s government. He warned Asif Ali Zardari against the politics of threats, expressing possibility of a backlash.

President, PML-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussein held a detailed meeting here on Friday which focussed on the national politics and the upcoming parliamentary elections being held on February 18.

The PML-Q Chief was accompanied by the party Secretary-General Mushahid Hussein and Central Information Secretary Tariq Azeem Khan.

Chaudhry Shujaat arrived in the British capital on Tuesday with regard to the January 22 incident at the Gatwick Airport involving his brother Chaudhry Wajahat Hussein and his immediate family members.

After his meeting with Altaf Hussein at the MQM International Secretariat in Edgware, north London, the PML-Q Chief left for Pakistan.

Speaking about the meeting Tariq Azeem Khan described the 135 minutes meeting as ‘positive’ and one which covered the various aspects of the pre and post election scenario.

“It was held in a pleasant atmosphere and Chaudhry Sahib thanked Altaf Hussein for the support and co-operation his party had extended to PML-Q during the last five years when the two parties were together in the coalition government in the centre,” he told APP after the meeting.

Both the leaders expressed their confidence that the elections would be held in a free, fair and transparent manner and were also hopeful that it would be peaceful and trouble free. The two leaders promised to continue their co-operation in future as well.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein has called on the British authorities to expunge all the references relating to the detention of his brother Chaudhry Wajahat Hussein, son Chaudhry Shafay Hussein and other relatives at the Gatwick Airport on January 22.

Addressing a press conference on Friday afternoon before leaving for Pakistan, the PML-Q Chief said he also wants all the DNA and Police report be retired and destroyed in order to clear the name of his immediate family members who suffered unnecessarily at the hands of the British Police on their arrival from Spain.

Accompanied by the party Secretary-General Mushahid Hussein and Central Information Secretary Tariq Azeem Khan, Shujaat told the journalist that he was not happy with regrets offered by the British Government on this incident and came to London to ensure proper investigation into the whole episode. On Thursday, a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Official and former British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mark Lyall Grant met the PML-Q Chief and expressed regrets over the incident.

Chaudhry Shujaat said the matter was also taken up by President Pervez Musharraf when he met the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London last week and asked for detailed investigation into the whole matter.

The PML-Q Chief said his family has suffered huge embarrassment and the issue is being exploited by his political detractors and therefore he was interested that their names be cleared from any future reference so that they do not face problems while travelling internationally and specially in Europe and USA.

According to the details provided by Chaudhry Shujaat, the British Police detained six persons including Wajahat Hussein, Shafay Hussein, nephews Farasat Ali Chatha, Haaris Elahi, friends Syed Sajid Hussein and Ijaz Sajid on their arrival at the Gatwick Airport from Barcelona on January 22 for 21 hours.

He released a two-page brief of the incident which stated: “My elder son Chaudhry Shafay Hussein accompanied by two of my real nephews went on a holiday to Spain. They spent 4-5 days in Barcelona. My son is diabetic, there his sugar level dropped and consequently he fainted and was under treatment in a hospital. Being informed about my son condition I asked my younger brother Chaudhry Wajahat Hussein who was in Paris to go to Barcelona to look after him.

Wajahat went to Barcelona on January 22 accompanied by two of his friends of Pakistani origin who were French nationals.

“On reaching Barcelona, Wajahat found that sons condition has improved and decided to leave for London en route to Pakistan. Their flight for Pakistan was scheduled for January 24. They all got seats in a late flight of Easy Jet from Barcelona which arrived at Gatwick Airport around 11 pm local time.On arrival at Gatwick, the aircraft was surrounded by the Police. My brother, son, two nephews and two friends of Ch.Wajahat were taken into custody by the Police from side the aircraft. Wajahat after introducing himself, requested to contact High Commission of Pakistan or to make a phone call but his request was denied.

From the airport they were taken to Croydon Police Station, where they were put in separate cells and two officers were detailed with each of them. Their baggage was searched and articles seized. Their fingers, DNA tests and photographs were taken during interrogation. My son was not feeling well due to stress and low sugar and he repeatedly asked the officers to provide him medical assistance which was denied. After around 9/10 hours of detention, the officers told them that there detention time and have expired and now they are under arrest, and are going to be transferred to Paddington Police, Central London.

At Croydon Police they were handcuffed and transferred in separate vehicles to Paddington Police Station where they were detained under schedule 7 paragraph 6 of the Terrorism Act 2000. My brother and others requested time and time to make a phone call or to contact High Commission of Pakistan which was denied. They were humiliated and their personal belongings even wrist watches and belts were removed. After completing custodial formalities, they were locked up in a separate cells with double door locks. There they were also tortured through high powered lights.

They locked up in the cells for around 7 hours and refused halal food. My brother and others requested again for legal aid. After extensive interrogations, a lady Solitcitor Barbara Sutton arrived at the Police Station. She examined the charges and informed the police about illegal/wrong action.She told police of serious repercussions of keeping innocent people in custody without lawful authority for a such a long time. Police apologised and returned their confiscated belongings and informed them that they are about to be released.

Instead of releasing them there, at around 7 pm (Jan 23) they were taken to airport under police escort in separate cars. Police personal escorted them even inside the airport upto the gate of the Pakistani bound aircraft and there they were handed over the passports. My brother Wajahat contacted me for the first time from inside the aircraft from a passengers mobile phone. In total they were kept in custody for 21 hours.

President of Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that the nation was fully united and elections would definitely be held on the 18th of next month.

Addressing candidates of the Party for national and provincial assemblies seats from Rawalpindi on Friday, he said Muslim League would fight those conspiring to get the elections postponed.

He said some people do not want the democratic institutions to prosper and are interested only in pursuing their negative personal agenda.

The Central leader of the party, Chaudhry Pervez Ilahi said if returned to power, Pakistan Muslim League would transform Pakistan into a true welfare Islamic State.

He said the five-year performance of the League Government bears testimony to the fact that the party is committed to serve the people.

He expressed the confidence that Muslim League would get a clear victory in all the four provinces and form a representative government.