Pak not provided 'enough' evidence to take legal action against Altaf Hussain: British envoy

Karachi [Pakistan], Aug.31 (ANI): British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew has said that no substantial evidence has been provided by Pakistan to carry out legal action against Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain against whom a treason case has been registered for his recent provocative speech that led to violence in Karachi on August 22. "We need solid evidence from Islamabad against Altaf Hussain [in regard to inciting people to violence in Pakistan] to take a legal action against him," the British High Commissioner was quoted as saying by the Dawn. Acknowledging the dossier dispatched by Islamabad, Drew told Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah in a meeting at the Parliament House that it does not carry enough material that can help in taking any legal action against Altaf. Urging Drew to convince British authorities to act against Hussain, Shah said that the MQM chief was 'causing problems for Pakistan while sitting in London'. Shah said that they want an immediate and stern action against Hussain. "The MQM chief's derogatory remarks against Pakistan and anti-Pakistan slogans are totally unacceptable to each and every person here," added Shah. The Pakistan Interior Ministry had yesterday dispatched a reference against Hussain to United Kingdom Government, accusing the former of inciting people to violence in Pakistan. The reference talked about MQM's 'disassociated' chief's 'vicious speech' and contains evidences related to inciting people to create chaos, read a statement issued by the ministry. Altaf Hussain's diatribe last week took many by surprise who were convinced that state institutions will use the speech as a justification for a strong action against MQM activists. Parts of Hussain's 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", he raised anti- Pakistan slogans and also called the country "a cancer for [the] entire world". Regretting the violence against media houses by the party workers aftermath his speech, he asked the authorities to release of MQM leaders who were arrested. Media houses were ransacked by the MQM party workers on Monday evening after listening to his provocative speech before clashing with police, leaving at least one person dead and over half a dozen injured. (ANI)