Burying the hatchet: Imran calls up Altaf, agrees to work together
Published: March 20, 2011
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman appreciates stance taken by Altaf Hussain.
ISLAMABAD:
After years of political animosity, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Altaf Hussain’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) appear to be coming closer as the two leaders held their first telephonic conversation and exchanged good will with each other.
In a rare move, Imran Khan called Altaf Hussain on Saturday and appreciated the ‘bold’ stance taken by the latter on national issues, separate but identical statements issued by media offices of both the parties said.
The two leaders agreed to bury their past differences and vowed to work together for the betterment of the country, the statements added.
PTI and MQM have been considered staunch rivals in the past, at times holding public rallies and resorting to personal attacks against each other’s leadership.
Recently, however, the two parties have come closer, mainly due to back-channel efforts by some common friends and political leaders in Pakistan, observers say.
The second-tier leadership of the two parties prepared the ground that culminated in direct interaction between their leaders.
During their conversation, both sides discussed common agenda points and vowed to work together to achieve their goals.
Altaf Hussain has recently started taking a tough stance in public, on issues like unabated US predator attacks inside Pakistani territory, release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis and Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The same issues take centre-stage in Imran Khan, and several right-wing parties’, political agendas.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2011.
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Bokhari holds Imran Khan accountable for ‘defamation’
By Obaid Abbasi
Published: March 17, 2011
House Senator Bokhari files a Rs20.13 million defamation suit against Imran Khan.
ISLAMABAD:
A court issued notice to the Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Tuesday after leader of the House Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari filed a Rs20.13 million defamation suit against him.
Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of Islamabad High Court issued the notice.
The petitioner contended that Imran Khan filed a case against him in the Supreme Court in December last year alleging that he was involved in land grabbing. The contentious plot was located on Saleem Omar Road, which leads to Bani Gala in Islamabad’s Zone-III.
The counsel for the petitioner, Sheikh Khizer, told the court that Imran Khan could not prove the allegation which was leveled against his client.
He informed the court that on the direction of SC, his client appeared before court on January 11. Later, Capital Development Authority (CDA) presented a complete report on the 380 kanals of disputed land, of which 80 kanals were allegedly held by Senator Bokhari.
CDA had retrieved 300 kanals of land from Raja Zahid Iqbal, Raja Amir Abbas, Raja Hafeez and Raja Tahir Iqbal.
“CDA told the SC that 80 kanal of lands was retrieved from Rizwan Shah, the younger brother of Bokhari. Hence the claims of my client holding the land were not true,” said Khizer.
However, in response to a suo motu notice given by the SC, CDA Chairperson Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said that Senator Bokhari had assured them to return the authority’s 154 kanals and 11 marlas whenever they asked for it.
The counsel said it was proved in the CDA report that Bokhari was not involved in land grabbing. He said Khan had deliberately defamed and passed derogatory remarks against Bokhari.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.
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