Govt should takeTaliban gunpoint Shariah threats seriously: Altaf

KARACHI: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) London-based founder leader, Altaf Hussain, Tuesday night said he had been warning the nation for the last ten years that Taliban were hell-bent on imposing their crooked version of Shariah at gunpoint, but no one took him seriously, Geo News reported.

"Alas, the so-called elite class not only bemocked me for ringing alarms bells about this 'clear & present danger' but also accused me of mongering fear for no reason", said he in a statement issued here.

He said it wasn't a tempest in a teacup, MQM had foreseen the menace of extremist militancy infiltrating this city long before anyone else.

"The unwise intelligentsia didn’t realize it until extremists came knocking on their doors threatening them to embrace their gunpoint Shariah or die."

He said the nation's mothers/sisters/daughters were chaste women of strong character who followed the tenets of Islam as much as possible.

"They lead their lives according to Shariah and would rather prefer to die for their honour before breaching the code of conduct Islam has given us", said he.

MQM supreme further said Taliban were openly threatening our mothers/sisters/daughters with dire consequences for not follow their strict interpretation of the Shariah.

"Taliban are discouraging the women of our country from wearing jeans/sportswear. They have warned them to immediately start veiling themselves from head to toe or brace for Shariah punishments like flogging or worse. They want the whole Pakistan to look exactly like Swat --when it was under their control", said he.

Altaf Hussain appealed to the government to take serious notice of the threats being issued by Taliban and their gun-point Shariah.

"I also appeal to the people to form committees comprising people having liberal/moderate views irrespective of their caste, colour, or creed."

In the end, Hussain urged the people to form vigilance committees in their neighbourhoods.