In fact, MQM was offered and turned down the money and this Altaf Hussain Qureshi is someone else. The real Altaf Hussain’s name is not on any list. So, I’ll keep laughing.
DAWN - Letters; August 15, 2007
We never learn from history-7
THIS has reference to Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column, We never learn from history’ (Aug 12), claiming Altaf Hussain has received from the ISI a kickback of Rs 20 million. However, the facts are that the writer is a bit confused’ about judging the names, and the kickback amount.
The same `confusion’ was displayed by Mr Cowasjee a decade back when, in his column, he mentioned Altaf Hussain’s name, hypothetically receiving kickbacks from the ISI.
I had sent a denial about the confusion of the name, and it was published in these columns. I had thought perhaps it was an error by him.
Once again, the facts are as under:
An Urdu national daily (Wednesday, June 12, 1996) and an English national daily (Nov 7, 1997 and not Dawn) reported that the ISI, through Gen Aslam Beg, in the 1990 general elections, distributed amongst 32 rightist politicians, religious leaders and journalists a sum of Rs140 million, to gang up against a political party.
The fact is that Gen Beg’s one side kick, also reached Mr Altaf Hussain’s residence of Azizabad with one suitcase, full of currency notes. Mr Hussain refused to accept it. After a few months, when Mr Hussain met Mr Beg in a function at Lahore, the former cynically asked, if his expensive suitcase reached him safely? The latter sheepishly nodded.
Those recipients who received the cash amounts were (surprisingly not mentioned in Mr Cowasjee’s column) the MQM’s nemesis Jamaat-i-Islami’s Amir (Rs5 million), and Maulana Salahuddin of Takbir’s fame (Rs0.3 million), Mr Altaf Hussain Qureshi (a red-haired veteran journalist) and Mr Mustafa Sadiq (Rs0.5 million).
Perhaps it was the second time that Mr Altaf Hussain Qureshi’s name was, by design, engineered in the infamous list of 32 politicians etc. (on the pay roll of the ISI) as Mr Altaf Hussain (MQM). Why, it is deliberate?
How was the name of Mr Altaf Hussain Qureshi tampered with to read Mr Altaf Hussain? And how was the sum of Rs0.5 million enhanced to Rs20 million? The answers slouch with Mr Cowasjee’s conscience.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Islamabad