ISLAMABAD: The ongoing war of words between the MQM and the opposition PML-N on Wednesday took a new and ugly turn when their leaders hit each other below the belt and used un-parliamentary language outside the Parliament House.
It all started when Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan passed some objectionable remarks against MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who had challenged PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday to have a live debate with him on national issues.
Chaudhry Nisar said, Mr Hussain had been living in the UK for 19 years after taking oath of allegiance to the British queen and did not bother to come to the country even when his countrymen were suffering because of natural disasters like earthquake and floods.
Later, the PML-N released the copies of Mr Hussain’s oath of allegiance to the British queen which he had been administered at the time of getting the British nationality.
“A person who has been busy in making properties worth billions of rupees and has not come to Pakistan for the past 19 years is talking about revolution,” Nisar said.
The opposition leader said that on one hand the MQM was angry with Nawaz Sharif for his remarks about revolution and, on the other hand, it was still a partner with the PPP although the Sindh home minister had used derogatory language against it.
The remarks angered MQM leaders Wasim Akhtar and Haider Abbas Rizvi so much that they went two steps ahead in abusing the PML-N leadership and passing remarks about their personal appearances.
The MQM legislators said that people remembered the day when Nawaz Sharif and his family went into exile carrying 120 boxes with an army of servants after begging for life to former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf. They said the PML-N was a product of the era of military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq.
They said their party would not tolerate any personal attack on its chief. Chaudhry Nisar should be ‘ashamed’ of using such language against Mr Hussain.
Mr Akhtar also warned the PML-N leadership against opening Pandora’s Box.
He said that soon the people of Lahore would stand up against the Sharif brothers because they were fed up with them.
The country has been facing a political turmoil since Zulfikar Mirza made a controversial speech in Karachi on Dec 13 and the sacking of Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Science and Technology Minister Azam Swati of the JUI-F against the backdrop of a Haj scam the following day.
The JUI-F quit the 32-month-old PPP-led coalition government in protest against the removal of Mr Swati and decided to sit on the opposition benches.
On the same day, the MQM, a coalition partner of the PPP at the centre and in Sindh, gave a 10-day ultimatum to the PPP leadership to come out with an explanation over the remarks made by Dr Mirza.
After the expiry of the deadline, the MQM quit the federal cabinet, but decided to sit on the treasury benches.
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