KARACHI: The Sindh High Court put on Wednesday the federal and provincial authorities on notice on a petition seeking a ban on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and disqualification of its lawmakers over an anti-state speech by London-based chief of the MQM Altaf Hussain.

The petition, filed by Moulvi Iqbal Haider, alleged that MQM MNAs and MPAs listened to the anti-state speech of Mr Hussain on Aug 22 at a hunger strike camp outside the Karachi Press Club in which he made highly objectionable remarks against the solidarity, integrity and security of the country.

The petitioner maintained that the MQM legislators had neither agitated, nor raised any slogans against their party’s founder, but for the sake of saving their own skin they disassociated themselves from the speech.

He further contended that the federation of Pakistan was bound to issue a notification to ban the MQM in terms of Articles 5 and 17(2) of the Constitution as its legislators got votes on the election symbol (kite) of the party in the name of Mr Hussain, who nominated them to contest the elections.

A two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah issued notices to the federal and provincial governments as well as the MQM leaders to file their comments by next hearing.

Published in Dawn September 1st, 2016