MQM leader bashes Pakistan's army for demeaning peaceful protests

London [UK], July 24 (ANI): In a video message released on Wednesday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain exposed the tactics used by Pakistan's defence forces to tarnish the image of communities that use peaceful protests as their mode of expressing their dissent.
In a post on 'X' Hussain said, "DG ISPR lied about the Bannu incident, the army itself announced operation commitment stability, now they are running away from this announcement. There is still time, call back the army from the tribal areas and Balochistan, stop the atrocities, and negotiate. Give everyone their right, otherwise, there will be no negotiations after surrender."

ڈی جی ISPR نے بنوں واقعےپرجھوٹ بولا، فوج نےخود آپریشن عزم استحکام کا اعلان کیا، اب اس اعلان سےبھاگ رہے ہیں۔
اب بھی وقت ہے، قبائلی علاقوں اور بلوچستان سے فوج واپس بلائیں،ظلم بند کریں، مذاکرات کریں۔سب کو انکا حق دیں، ورنہ ہتھیار ڈالنےکے بعد مذاکرات نہیں ہوتے#ہفتہ_تشکر_ایم_کیو_ایم pic.twitter.com/TmXvKjtoDQ

— Altaf Hussain (@AltafHussain_90) July 22, 2024

In his statement, Hussain referred to a recently organised press conference by the Directorate of Inter-Services Public Relations (DGISPR) in which they claimed that the recently held Bannu open fire incident was triggered by initial firing from the protestors.
While condemning these actions of Pakistan's defence forces, Hussain mentioned, "The army general in that press conference repeated the same lies that they have been trying to sell for years now. In the press conference, they defamed the peaceful protestors of Bannu, who had organised a peaceful rally. They were not doing anything wrong; they were holding white flags to showcase their peaceful dissent and your army men opened fire on them."
The statement added, "You used lies to prove your point, by showing a photo of someone holding a pistol in the bannu rally. And even if there was a pistol holder in the rally, what is the evidence to prove that an ISI agent was not holding it? And your security personnel at that time had huge guns, so why were you afraid and why did you open fire on peacefully marching people? No doubt you showed the one-sided story of the pistol but you did not show the photos and videos that went viral showing unarmed people running here and there to save their lives when your men opened fire on them and they were injured."
Hussain, while cornering the defence forces for organising terror attacks on India, said, " The truth still stands that your army, your army generals, and the ISI have been sending terrorists to India, for propagating terrorism. It is clear that you have been trying to turn the Bannu incident the other way and are trying to blame it on those peaceful protestors."
Hussain also said that this is not the first time that the Army has attacked peaceful protestors.
"Anyone who points a finger at you or reveals the truth about you, you call them terrorists, but you are the real terrorists. Otherwise, who had sent terrorists from Pakistan to orchestrate bomb blasts In India? But the people are now aware and all this must stop immediately. There is still time, but it will be too late if you don't stop now," he added. (ANI)