ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has again rejected Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s demand for setting up a judicial commission to investigate the allegations levelled by former nazim of Karachi Mustafa Kamal against Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain.

The minister said at a press conference on Thursday that the government could not constitute a judicial commission on a matter without any hard evidence.

“It has become a routine for some to demand judicial commissions on a drop of hat. Kisi ko cheenk be aa jaey to log judicial commission ka matalba kar detey hain.”

He said a judicial commission would throw away a matter within three days if there was no hard evidence.

Chaudhry Nisar said a committee had already been formed to investigate the claims made against a political party for having links with the Indian intelligence agency, RAW. The government, he said, had also placed an advertisement in the media asking the general public to share any evidence against the MQM about its relations with RAW or in cases of money-laundering.

The minister criticised some TV anchorpersons and called them pseudo-intellectuals for criticising the government. “The government cannot act on whims and wishes of somebody,” he said.

Responding to the minister’s remarks, the PTI said in a statement that a fully empowered judicial commission should be set up to investigate serious allegations made against a political party by none other than its own office-bearers.

It said the interior minister held an important portfolio and he must take things seriously.

If providing evidence, the statement said, was the responsibility of citizens then “what for are interior minister and a plethora of agencies working under him”.

The PTI said it was unfortunate that people at the helm of affairs were not willing even to accept reasonable suggestions.

MQM probe

The interior minister also told reporters that the government had established “indirect contact” with Sarfaraz Merchant — one of the suspects in the MQM-related money laundering case in the UK — to record his statement. Merchant said he would make a decision after obtaining legal advice, he said.

He said a committee had been formed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate Merchant’s his disclosures. The committee, he said, would not only be confined to Merchant’s allegations but would also look into allegations of money laundering, purported links with Indian intelligence agency RAW and other crimes.

As a Pakistani, the minister said Merchant should have no problems in this regard, since he was the one who offered information. He said the government would ensure his security if he came to Pakistan to record his statement and share the evidence available with him.

In case Merchant was reluctant, the minister said, the British government would be requested to allow the FIA committee to visit UK to meet him.

“We will have to seek legal assistance and access to Sarfaraz Merchant through the British government,” he remarked. The committee has been given two weeks to submit its report.

Iftikhar A. Khan contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2016